Spain sets tourism record with 58.1 million arrivals by July

Record arrivals and spending

Spain has broken its own tourism records, welcoming 58.1 million international visitors between January and July 2026, a 4.6% increase on the same period last year, according to Frontur figures published by Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE).

Visitor spending also reached an all-time high of €82.05 billion, up 7.8% year-on-year, as reported by the INE based on Frontur and Egatur surveys.

In July alone, the country received 11.5 million international tourists, another 4.6% increase on July 2025. Spending that month rose by 10.9% to €18.22 billion, according to the same sources.

Source markets and destinations

The United Kingdom, France and Germany were the main source markets between January and July, with 11.5 million, 7.2 million and 6.9 million visitors respectively. Arrivals from the UK grew by 4.6% and those from France by 1.2%, while German numbers fell by 0.5%.

Italy was the fastest-growing market in percentage terms, sending 3.5 million tourists, up 10.3% year-on-year. Visitors from other countries rose by a notable 16.9% to 717,000, and their spending increased by 24.5%.

In July, the UK led arrivals with 2.2 million visitors, 5.6% more than a year earlier. British tourists spent €3.04 billion in Spain that month, up 4.8%.

Catalonia was the most visited autonomous community between January and July, with 11.94 million international tourists, up 2.9%. It was followed by the Balearic Islands with 9.16 million (up 1.8%) and the Canary Islands with 9.02 million (down 0.6%). Andalusia received 9.02 million tourists, an 8.2% increase. Madrid and the Valencian Community recorded the strongest growth among the main destinations, with increases of 9.6% and 8.9% respectively.

In July, the Balearic Islands were the top destination, accounting for 22.3% of arrivals, followed by Catalonia (20.6%) and Andalusia (14.6%). That month, the Valencian Community received 1.63 million visitors (up 9.5%) and Madrid reached 800,000 tourists, an 11% increase.

Travel patterns and spending breakdown

The most common length of stay for international tourists was seven nights, according to INE. In July, the most common stay was four to seven nights, with 5.7 million travellers, up 8.7% year-on-year.

Nearly 3.1 million people travelled as part of a package tour in July, while almost 8.5 million travelled without one, according to INE. Accommodation accounted for the largest share of tourism spending in July at 19.8%, followed by package tours (19.3%) and international transport (19.2%).

Outlook: could Spain become the world's most visited country?

Spain could overtake France as the world's most visited country by 2040, according to a joint study by Deloitte and Google reported by Euronews. The study estimates that Spain will see 110 million inbound arrivals in 2040, potentially taking the top spot. France, which recorded 102 million annual international visitors in 2025, is projected to welcome 105 million visitors in 2040.

The companies behind the analysis say the research will "help travel operators and distributors anticipate and adapt to future trends".

Spain hosted a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, according to Spain's National Institute of Statistics, as reported by The Independent.