Spain's foreign tourist numbers break records in early 2025

Spain saw a record 17 million foreign tourists in early 2025, which boosted the nation's economy and raised tourist spending. Most visitors came from Britain, France, and Germany. The government plans to increase tourism across the country and reduce seasonal dependence. This comes amid local concerns about overtourism.

Official data showed on Monday that Spain welcomed a record 17 million foreign tourists in the first three months of 2025 as the buoyant sector drives an economy outshining European peers. The 17.1 million foreign tourists arriving in Spain from January to March was a 5.7 per cent increase on the same period in 2024, the National Statistics Institute said.

Britain, France, and Germany supplied the most holidaymakers in the world's second most visited country, which, last year, hosted a record 94 million foreign tourists who saw its sun, beaches, and culture. Spending by foreign tourists also climbed 7.2 per cent to 23.5 billion euros, the tourism ministry said in a statement, a welcome development for the government, which wants visitors to splash more cash during their stay. The tourist sector was one of the drivers of Spain's standout growth of 3.2 per cent in 2024, well above the EU figure of one per cent.

But the bonanza has sparked a growing backlash among locals who complain that an unsustainable influx of foreign visitors is driving up rents, saturating infrastructure and changing the fabric of neighbourhoods. Spain aims to diversify destinations, make the actor less dependent on key seasons and share the benefits across the country, Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said.

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Spain's Foreign Tourist Numbers Break Records In Early 2025

News Source : Economic Times