Spain has moved closer to breaking the 100 million annual tourist mark after international arrivals rose 9.5% in May to 10.3 million visitors, according to official figures. It was the first time May has passed 10 million foreign tourists, a level usually associated with July and August.
The latest increase follows a 2.5% rise in the first quarter and a 5.2% gain in April. Tourism has also been boosted by a strong performance from Spain’s main source markets, with the UK, France and Germany all sending more visitors.
The National Statistics Institute, known as the INE, said the country received 36.8 million international tourists in the first five months of 2026, up 5% from the same period last year. If that pace continues, Spain could end the year with 101.64 million foreign visitors, a record that would put it closer to France, the world’s top tourism destination.
UK travellers remained Spain’s biggest group in May, with 2.2 million arrivals, up 6.1% year on year. France followed with 1.3 million visitors, a rise of 11.1%, while Germany also contributed 1.3 million, up 9%.
Growth was broad based across other markets too. Arrivals from the United States rose 12.32% to 559,015, visitors from the rest of the Americas increased 15.56% to 608,710, and Italian arrivals climbed 16.25% to 577,829.
Analysts have linked part of the rise to what has been described as a refuge effect from the Iran conflict, with some holidaymakers who had planned trips to Turkey, Greece, Saudi Arabia or other destinations in the region choosing Spain instead. Others say the gains reflect a longer tourism season and a gradual spreading of demand beyond the summer months.
Jorge Marichal, president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation, said hotel opening seasons are no longer limited to the high summer period. He said activity now often runs from April to November, rather than from June to September.
Spending by foreign visitors also rose sharply in May. Tourists left 13.553 billion euros in Spain that month, up 10.9% from a year earlier, while total spending in the first five months reached 50.257 billion euros, a 7.8% increase.
If current trends continue, tourism revenue could end 2026 at about 145 billion euros. That would underline the sector’s central role in the Spanish economy, even as the industry faces growing pressure to manage crowds and spread demand more evenly through the year.
