Madrid (AFP) – Spain welcomed a record 22.3 million foreign tourists in the key summer holiday months of July and August as the sector heads for another year of unprecedented numbers, data showed on Thursday. The National Statistics Institute said 11.3 million international tourists arrived in the world’s second most-visited country in August, largely driven by British, French and German holidaymakers.
That was a 2.9-percent increase on the same month in 2024 and came after 11 million foreign arrivals in July, a year-on-year rise of 1.6 percent. The 22.3 million tourists hosted over the two months smashed the previous high mark of 21.8 million in 2024 — a year that saw a record 94 million foreign visitors flock to Spain.
Almost 66.8 million foreign tourists visited Spain in the first eight months of 2025, another record that surpassed last year’s equivalent figure by 3.9 percent, the institute said. Tourism is a key driver of one of the fastest-growing advanced economies, with last year’s growth recently revised upwards to 3.5 percent.
But a growing backlash against overtourism has seen protests in the most popular destinations such as Barcelona, the southern coastal city of Malaga, as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands. Locals say the influx of visitors is changing the fabric of their neighbourhoods and driving up rents as properties are converted into lucrative tourist accommodation.
© 2024 AFP
