Spain, the world’s second most visited country after France, welcomed a record 10.1 million international tourists in September, a 4.3% increase from a year earlier, as the peak summer travel season ends.
Spending by foreign travelers in September reached 14.4 billion euros (US$16 billion), up 8% year-on-year, consolidating the sector’s strength after the summer campaign, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE).
The average spend per tourist in Spain increased by 3.6% to 1,429 euros, according to the INE.
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People walk in Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, March 12, 2020. Photo by Reuters |
The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest source market with 2.2 million tourists during the month. Germany ranked second with 1.3 million, followed by France with 1.1 million.
The peak summer tourist season in Spain runs from June to August.
The country attracted a record 80.5 million international tourists in the first nine months of 2026, a 5.2% increase from a year earlier.
Spain’s travel and tourism sector is projected to contribute more than 269 billion euros to the national economy in 2026, up 4.1% from the previous year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).
Last year, its travel and tourism contributed 259 billion euros, 15.3% of Spain’s GDP, and supported 3.2 million jobs.