Spain welcomed 10.7 million foreign tourists in the first two months of the year, 2% more than in the same period of 2025 and a new record figure for this period, according to data published on Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). Spending by these tourists also reached a record figure for this period by February, at €15.411 billion, up 6.9%.
In February alone, total spending by international tourists amounted to €7.6 billion, 4.6% more than in February of the previous year. The number of international tourists arriving in Spain in February exceeded 5.6 million, representing a 2.8% increase compared to the same period last year and a new all-time high in the INE’s records.
“These figures confirm a start to the year in which, once again, the trend of growth in spending at destination outpacing the increase in the rate of arrivals continues,” highlighted the Ministry of Industry and Tourism. In the first two months of 2026, total spending by international tourists reached €15.411 billion, 6.9% more than in the same period last year, and the number of visitors stood at nearly 10.7 million, a 2% increase.
In the second month of the year, the United Kingdom was the main source country for tourists to Spain, with over one million visitors and a year-on-year increase of 1.8%. In second place, 687,434 visitors arrived from France, representing a decrease of 4.8% compared to the same period last year.
Finally, 629,604 visitors arrived from Germany, a slight increase of 1.4%. Of particular note is the 41.9% year-on-year increase in the Asian market, with over 330,000 visitors.
In terms of spending, the main source countries in February were the United Kingdom, accounting for 15% of the total, Germany, accounting for 11.9% of the total, and the Nordic countries, accounting for 7.8% of the total. Spending by tourists resident in the United Kingdom fell by 3.8% year-on-year, standing at €1.165 billion. Spending by visitors from the Nordic countries also fell by 6.4%, reaching €594 million. Meanwhile, spending by visitors from Germany rose by 8%, to €904 million.
In terms of spending, the ‘rest of the world’ countries stood out once again, with expenditure growing by 11.6%. During February, each tourist spent an average of €1,366, representing a 1.7% increase compared to February of the previous year. The average daily spend by visitors rose by 3.4% year-on-year, reaching €190. Meanwhile, the most common length of stay among tourists was four to seven nights, with almost 2.7 million visitors and an annual increase of 4.1%.
59.1% of total spending in February was by tourists staying in hotel accommodation, with an annual increase of 8.1%. Meanwhile, spending on non-market accommodation fell by 4.8%. Spending by tourists who did not travel on a package holiday rose by 4.5% year-on-year, whilst spending by those who booked a package holiday increased by 4.8%. As for the reason for the trip, tourists visiting Spain for leisure accounted for 79.8% of total spending, with expenditure 2.1% higher than in February 2025