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A couple take selfies in a crowded Las Ramblas in Barcelona, Spain, May 24, 2023. Photo by Reuters |
The United Kingdom remained Spain’s largest source market during January and June 2026, with over 9.9 million tourists, a 4.3% year-on-year increase, Spanish daily newspaper Demócrata reported.
Germany ranked second with 5.7 million arrivals, followed closely by France with 5.6 million.
The three countries were also Spain’s largest tourism spending markets in the same order, accounting for 17%, 11.7% and 7.4% of total foreign tourist expenditures in the first six months, which rose 7% year on year to €63.8 billion (US$73.6 billion), according to the National Statistics Institute.
Analysts attributed the increase to a combination of factors, including the continued recovery of long-haul travel, particularly from the Americas, a rebound in business travel, and growing demand for destinations seen as safe and stable amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty, Euronews reported.
Spain welcomed 96.8 million foreign tourists last year, a 3.2% increase from 2024, making it the second most visited country globally, behind France with 105 million visitors.