Spain’s tourism industry continues its record-breaking streak, welcoming 5.1 million international visitors in January 2025—a 6.1% increase from the same month last year.
Tourist spending also surged to €7.13 billion, an 8.9% rise, setting new benchmarks for the country’s travel economy. However, while most Spanish regions experienced growth, the Valencian Community was the only major destination to see a decline in foreign tourist arrivals.
Madrid and Catalonia Lead the Tourism Boom
According to data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE), Madrid and Catalonia saw the highest growth in international visitors, with increases of 15.7% and 12.4%, respectively. The Canary Islands remained the most visited destination in January, accounting for 26.9% of total arrivals (1.36 million tourists), followed by Catalonia (1.07 million) and Madrid (704,362 tourists).
Madrid also led in tourist spending, with visitors injecting €1.39 billion into the local economy—a 19.8% increase compared to last year. Andalusia followed with €988 million, while the Balearic Islands recorded €187 million in tourist spending.
Valencia Faces a Tourism Setback
While most of Spain’s major tourist regions saw growth, the Valencian Community recorded a 2.6% drop in international arrivals, hosting 600,146 foreign visitors in January. This decline broke the region’s long-standing upward trend in tourism, even during challenging periods.
Tourist spending in Valencia also fell by 1.8% to €738 million, making it the only Spanish region to report a decline in travel revenue for the month. Despite this, the region’s per-person spending rose slightly to €1,230, up 0.9% from last year, surpassing the €1,019 average recorded in Catalonia.
Who’s Spending the Most in Spain?
The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest source of international tourists, contributing 15.4% of total visitors (863,286 arrivals)—a 3.6% increase from last year. Germany and the Nordic countries followed, with German tourists accounting for 11.1% of visitors, despite a 2.4% decline in arrivals. The Nordic market, on the other hand, saw an 8.7% share of total spending, although the number of visitors dropped by 3%.
The strongest tourism growth came from Asian markets, with the INE reporting a 25.8% increase in arrivals from the “rest of the world” category, which includes Asia. Portugal also recorded 17.5% more visitors, while Irish tourism to Spain grew by 10.3%.
Hotels and Leisure Spending See an Uptick
Tourists continued to favor hotels over alternative accommodations, with 53.7% of international visitors staying in hotels, an increase of 9.4% year-on-year. Spending on non-market accommodations, such as private homes and stays with friends or relatives, also rose by 12.7%.
Leisure travel remained the driving force behind Spain’s tourism economy, accounting for 81.1% of total spending, with an increase of 9.8% from last year. Spending on activities made up 23.7% of total tourism revenue, followed by international transport (excluding package tours) at 22.3% and food expenses at 16.3%.
Spain’s Tourism Momentum Continues
With international visitors spending more and staying longer, Spain’s tourism industry shows no signs of slowing down. However, Valencia’s unexpected decline raises questions about regional challenges and the broader impact on local businesses.
As Spain moves further into 2025, all eyes will be on whether the Valencian Community can bounce back from this dip and rejoin the country’s upward tourism trend.
