SPAIN’S Tourism Minister, Jordi Hereu, has said that the country is ‘likely’ to attract 100 million foreign tourists this year- boosted in the summer peak season by uncertainty in the Middle East.

The world’s second-most-visited country after France welcomed 96.8 million tourists in 2025, which represented a record high and an increase of 3.2% compared with the previous year.

Jordi Hereu siad: “We will probably reach 100 million if this trend continues. It would be the natural outcome.”

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Spain’s government estimates tourists will contribute €64 billion to the economy during the summer peak season(June to September)- up by 10% on the same time last year.

That helps to reinforce tourism’s role as a key driver of Spain’s economic growth and helping the country outperform its European peers.

This summer, some 43 million international tourists are forecast to visit Spain, 6% more than in the June-September period last year.

The government sees the number of arrivals rising – like it did in the spring – despite ?the worldwide uncertainty surrounding the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Over the past few months, turmoil in the Middle East diverted some travellers from the region to boost demand for southern Mediterranean countries, including Spain.

“Three months ago, we believed the Middle East conflict could slow down tourist arrivals but figures do point to some remarkable resilience in spite of circumstances,” Hereu stated.

By 1 October, visitor arrivals are forecast to climb to nearly 80 million, a stronger performance than authorities expected in March.

While traditional sun-and-beach destinations are expected to continue growing this summer, the government said inland regions will have even larger rises due to August’s total solar eclipse, which will be visible across a large part of northern and eastern Spain.

Hereu said many rural accommodations have been fully booked because of interest in the eclipse.

He added that steering tourists inland to lesser-known areas would also help Spain deal with the overcrowding in popular coastal destinations that has triggered a backlash from residents.

The extra visitors are also increasing strain on the railways and at airports.

Spain’s airport operator, Aena, has announced that it plan to impose restrictions during 2027 on flights at peak times during the summer season to avoid saturation of terminals.

Prices for hotels and holiday lets have risen compared to last year.

In a news conference, Jordi Hereu also urged regional governments to manage tourism offerings, arguing that demand will increase further.

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