Spain’s tourism sector maintained its growth trajectory in early 2026, supported by steady visitor volumes, increasing tourist spending, and strong demand from non-European markets.
According to February 2026 provisional data, the country welcomed approximately 5.7 million international visitors, marking a 2.8% year-on-year increase. This brought total arrivals for the first two months of the year to around 10.7 million, up 2% compared to the same period in 2025.
Key source markets show mixed performance
The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest inbound market, generating over 1 million visitors in February and 1.9 million in the January–February period. It was followed by France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
However, performance across key European markets was uneven. While the UK maintained its leading position, France recorded a notable 11.7% decline in the first two months of the year, and Germany showed flat growth.
In contrast, the “rest of the world” segment surged by 19.1%, highlighting Spain’s success in diversifying demand beyond its traditional European base.
Independent travel and commercial accommodation lead trends
Travel patterns indicate a continued shift toward independent travel, with 4.4 million in February made outside package tours, compared to 1.2 million package holiday. Although both segments grew, package tours rose slightly faster (+3.9%), while independent travel increased by 2.5%.
Accommodation preferences further underline this trend. Hotel stays increased by 3.6%, while rental accommodation surged by 13.7%, reflecting growing demand for alternative lodging options. Meanwhile, non-commercial stays (friends/family) declined by 2.3%.
The most common length of stay remained 4–7 nights, which grew by 4.1%, while both short stays (day trips) and long stays (15+ nights) declined.
Canary Islands lead arrivals, Valencia gains momentum
Regionally, the Canary Islands remained Spain’s top destination in February, capturing 26.8% of total arrivals, followed by Catalonia and Andalusia.
However, Valencia stood out with a 10.4% growth rate, signaling rising competitiveness among secondary destinations. In contrast, the Balearic Islands saw an 8.1% decline, indicating shifting seasonal demand patterns.
Tourism revenue exceeds €15 billion in two months
Parallel to rising visitor numbers, Spain’s tourism revenues showed stronger growth.
International tourists generated €7.6 billion in February alone, up 4.6% year-on-year. For the January–February period, total tourism revenue reached €15.4 billion, representing a 6.9% increase.
Higher spending per tourist supports revenue growth
Average spending indicators also improved:
• Per tourist expenditure rose to €1,366 (+1.7%)
• Daily spending increased to €190 (+3.4%)
• Average stay slightly declined to 7.2 nights
Spending patterns highlight transport and experiences
The largest share of tourist expenditure was allocated to international transport (23.4%, +11%), followed by:
• Activities (20.4%)
• Accommodation (17.2%)
• Food & beverage (16.1%)
Notably, non-package travel spending accounted for 85.5% of total expenditure, reinforcing the strength of independent travel behavior.
Hotels drive revenue growth
Hotels remained the dominant revenue generator, accounting for 59.1% of total spending, with 8.1% growth. In contrast, spending by tourists staying with friends or relatives declined by 4.8%.
Both package travel (+4.8%) and independent travel spending (+4.5%) posted gains, confirming a broadly positive demand environment.
Leisure dominates, but business travel gains pace
Leisure travel continued to dominate, representing 79.8% of total tourism spending, with a modest 2.1% increase.
However, business travel emerged as a high-growth segment, with total spending rising 5.6% and per capita expenditure surging by 12.5%, indicating stronger yield potential.
Catalonia leads revenue growth among regions
In terms of tourism receipts, the Canary Islands ranked first with a 29.1% share, followed by Catalonia (18%) and Madrid (15.3%).
Catalonia recorded the strongest growth (+18.7%), while the Canary Islands saw a slight 1.6% decline in revenue, suggesting a shift in spending distribution across regions.
