Madrid (AFP) – 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, official data showed on Monday. The 17.1 million foreign tourists arriving in Spain from January to March represented a 5.7-percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to the National Statistics Institute.
Britain, France, and Germany supplied the most holidaymakers to the world’s second most-visited country, which hosted a record 94 million foreign tourists last year seeking its sun, beaches, and culture. Spending by foreign tourists also climbed 7.2 percent to 23.5 billion euros ($26.7 billion), the tourism ministry said in a statement. This is a welcome development for the government, which wants visitors to spend more during their stay.
The tourist sector was one of the drivers of Spain’s standout growth of 3.2 percent in 2024, well above the EU figure of one percent. However, 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 neighborhoods.
Spain aims to “diversify” destinations, make the sector less dependent on key seasons, and “share out the benefits” across the country, Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu stated.
© 2024 AFP
