Record number of tourists flock to Spain’s beaches, historic cities

Spain attracted more foreign visitors last year than ever before, with some 97 million guests visited the country, 3.5% more than in 2024, says Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu.

Spending by foreign guests grew by as much as 6.8% to €135 billion ($156 billion).

Tourism accounted for 12.3% of the country’s GDP and 11.6% of employment in 2023, according to the National Statistics Institute.

In 2024, international tourist arrivals rose by over 10%, surpassing 98 million visitors, who also spent 16% more than the previous year.

Spain is the world’s second-most visited country, after France. Most of the tourists came from Britain, Germany and France.

And it is the EU’s top tourist destination, forming a key pillar of the Spanish economy.

However, some areas have seen protests in recent years.

Residents of the Balearic islands have protested against overtourism, which are economically reliant on tourism.

Struggling locals in mainland cities have also pointed out some of the negative impacts of the rising number of visitors.

Many are concerned about higher prices and less availability of homes, and a greater strain on infrastructure – leading officials to seek ways to moderate the effects in order to pacify Spaniards.

Cities including Malaga launched campaigns to rein in excesses such as littering and tourists loitering around town in swimming or beach wear.

Meanwhile Barcelona proposed a ban on short-term letting as residential rents surged by almost 70% over the past decade.