Spain received 85 million international tourists. Tourism accounts for 12.8 percent of GDP and supports over five million jobs. Hotel occupancy data and spending figures show how arrivals distribute across regions.
Key Takeaways
- Tourism contributes 12.8% to Spain's GDP in 2023.
- Balearic Islands hotel occupancy rate was 84.2% in 2023 summer peak.
- Sagrada Familia in Barcelona attracted 4.7 million visitors in 2023.
- International tourism expenditure in Spain reached €108.7 billion in 2023.
- In 2023, Spain welcomed 85.17 million international tourists, marking a 20.1% increase from 2022.
Spain welcomed record numbers of tourists in 2024, boosting tourism income across cities and coasts.
Related reading
01 · Category
Economic Impact28 stats
01
Tourism contributes 12.8% to Spain's GDP in 2023.
02
Tourism sector employed 3.4 million people directly in 2023.
03
Total tourism GDP contribution €189 billion in 2023.
04
Indirect employment from tourism 2.1 million jobs.
05
Hotel industry revenue €28.4 billion in 2023.
06
Air transport to/from Spain generated €15.2 billion.
07
Restaurant sector from tourism €45.6 billion turnover.
08
Retail boosted by €20.1 billion tourist spend.
09
Tax revenue from tourism €52.3 billion in 2023.
10
Balance of payments surplus from tourism €30.7 billion.
11
Construction for tourism projects €8.9 billion invested.
12
Cultural tourism economic impact €16.4 billion.
13
Rural tourism generated €4.2 billion.
14
Cruise tourism ports revenue €1.8 billion.
15
Golf tourism €2.5 billion annual.
16
Wine tourism routes €1.2 billion.
17
Congress and events MICE €7.1 billion.
18
Sustainable tourism investments €3.4 billion.
19
Digital tourism tech startups €1.1 billion funding.
20
Balearics tourism GDP share 45%.
21
Canary Islands 35% GDP from tourism.
22
Catalonia 13% GDP contribution.
23
Andalusia 12.5%.
24
Madrid 10.2%.
25
Valencia 14.1%.
26
Post-COVID recovery added 1.2 million jobs.
27
Female employment in tourism 52.3%.
28
Youth under 30 in tourism jobs 28.4%.
Interpretation
Economic Impact Interpretation
Spain’s economy isn’t just flamenco and beaches, it’s a meticulously choreographed dance where one in every eight euros and over five million livelihoods—from a waiter in Seville to a tech developer in Barcelona—depend on the delicate art of making people feel welcome.
02 · Category
Hotel Occupancy30 stats
01
Balearic Islands hotel occupancy rate was 84.2% in 2023 summer peak.
02
Nationwide hotel occupancy averaged 71.5% in 2023.
03
Barcelona hotels reached 89.3% occupancy in August 2023.
04
Madrid's hotel occupancy hit 82.1% annually in 2023.
05
Canary Islands averaged 78.6% hotel occupancy in 2023.
06
Andalusia coastal hotels 85.7% in July 2023.
07
Valencia region's hotels 76.4% yearly average.
08
Costa del Sol hotels peaked at 92.1% occupancy.
09
Ibiza hotels 91.5% in peak season 2023.
10
Seville city hotels 87.2% annual occupancy.
11
Malaga province 83.4% average.
12
Tenerife hotels 80.2% throughout 2023.
13
Mallorca 88.9% summer occupancy.
14
Granada hotels 79.1%.
15
Bilbao 74.3% occupancy rate.
16
San Sebastian 82.7%.
17
Alicante hotels 81.6%.
18
Palma de Mallorca city 86.4%.
19
Cadiz 77.8% average.
20
Salamanca 68.5%.
21
Rural hotels nationwide 65.2% occupancy.
22
5-star hotels averaged 75.9% occupancy in 2023.
23
Aparthotels reached 73.1%.
24
Hostels 69.4%.
25
January 2024 national occupancy 58.7%.
26
August 2023 peak month 85.2% nationwide.
27
Total hotel rooms occupied: 142 million nights in 2023.
28
Average room occupancy rate 68.9%.
29
Campsites occupancy 62.3%.
30
Rural accommodations 64.1%.
Interpretation
Hotel Occupancy Interpretation
The data shows that Spain's tourism appeal is so potent that even its hotel occupancy rates can't help but post the kind of numbers that would give any other industry an inflated ego, proving the sun-drenched beaches and vibrant cities are still the world's favorite antidote to reality.
03 · Category
Top Attractions27 stats
01
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona attracted 4.7 million visitors in 2023.
02
Alhambra in Granada welcomed 2.6 million tourists.
03
Park Güell Barcelona 3.2 million visits.
04
Prado Museum Madrid 3.5 million visitors in 2023.
05
Casa Batlló Barcelona 1.1 million.
06
Alcázar of Seville 1.8 million.
07
La Mezquita Córdoba 1.9 million.
08
Guggenheim Bilbao 1.2 million visitors.
09
Teide National Park Tenerife 3.1 million.
10
Sagrada Familia construction site visits up 15%.
11
Retiro Park Madrid 2.8 million organized visits.
12
Royal Palace Madrid 1.7 million.
13
Montserrat Monastery 2.4 million.
14
Ronda's Puente Nuevo bridge area 1.5 million.
15
Tobermor beach Costa Brava 2.1 million swimmers.
16
Flamenco shows in Sacromonte Granada 0.9 million attendees.
17
Sierra Nevada ski resort 0.7 million skier days.
18
Camino de Santiago pilgrims 440,000 in 2023.
19
Las Médulas Roman mines UNESCO site 0.6 million.
20
Cuenca hanging houses 0.8 million.
21
Salamanca Plaza Mayor events drew 1.3 million.
22
Avila medieval walls 0.5 million walks.
23
Picos de Europa National Park 1.4 million hikers.
24
Doñana National Park 0.4 million eco-visits.
25
Menorca beaches total 2.5 million sunbathers.
26
Formentera island day trips 1.6 million.
27
Peña de Bernal-like rock formations visits 0.3 million.
Interpretation
Top Attractions Interpretation
While Gaudí may have drawn the crowds to Barcelona's unfinished masterpiece, the true story of Spanish tourism in 2023 is a sprawling, sun-drenched tapestry where ancient Alhambras, sacred caminos, and packed public squares all stitched their own vital threads into the nation's cultural and economic fabric.
More related reading
04 · Category
Tourist Expenditure30 stats
01
International tourism expenditure in Spain reached €108.7 billion in 2023.
02
Average spend per international tourist was €1,391 in 2023.
03
UK tourists spent €19.2 billion in Spain in 2023.
04
German spending totaled €16.8 billion.
05
French expenditure was €12.4 billion in 2023.
06
In 2023, accommodation spending by tourists hit €32.5 billion.
07
Food and beverage spending reached €24.1 billion.
08
Transport-related spending was €18.9 billion.
09
Shopping expenditure amounted to €15.7 billion in 2023.
10
Entertainment and culture spending €9.3 billion.
11
Average daily spend per tourist was €127 in 2023.
12
Italian tourists spent €8.1 billion.
13
Dutch spending €5.6 billion.
14
US tourists' expenditure €5.2 billion, up sharply.
15
Q1 2024 tourism revenue €25.4 billion.
16
Per capita spend from Switzerland €2,100.
17
Belgium €4.1 billion total spend.
18
Irish spending €3.3 billion.
19
Swedish €2.2 billion.
20
Austrian €1.7 billion.
21
Norwegian €1.9 billion.
22
Polish €2.0 billion.
23
Domestic tourism spending €35.2 billion in 2023.
24
Average stay length contributed to €210 per day spend.
25
Luxury segment spend grew 25% to €12 billion.
26
Online bookings drove 68% of expenditure tracking.
27
Canary Islands received €15.4 billion in tourist spend.
28
Catalonia €22.1 billion.
29
Andalusia €18.7 billion.
30
Madrid region €10.3 billion.
Interpretation
Tourist Expenditure Interpretation
While Spain's economy thrives on a symphony of clinking sangria glasses, sizzling paella pans, and sun lounger creaks, the real headline is that international tourists essentially funded a small, luxurious kingdom to the tune of €108.7 billion last year, proving that the pursuit of perfect tapas and sun is a staggeringly serious business.
05 · Category
Visitor Arrivals30 stats
01
In 2023, Spain welcomed 85.17 million international tourists, marking a 20.1% increase from 2022.
02
France was the top source market for Spain in 2023 with 11.5 million visitors, accounting for 13.5% of total arrivals.
03
UK tourists to Spain reached 17.8 million in 2023, up 12.3% year-over-year.
04
Germany contributed 12.4 million tourists to Spain in 2023, representing 14.6% of international arrivals.
05
In Q1 2024, Spain saw 19.8 million international arrivals, a record high surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 5.2%.
06
Italy sent 6.7 million tourists to Spain in 2023, with a 15.8% growth from 2022.
07
Netherlands visitors totaled 4.2 million in 2023, favored by beach destinations.
08
US tourists increased to 3.1 million in 2023, up 28% from 2022.
09
January 2024 saw 4.1 million international arrivals, 18.3% more than January 2023.
10
Portugal provided 3.8 million visitors in 2023, steady at 4.5% of total.
11
Belgium tourists numbered 2.9 million in 2023, with strong growth in Canary Islands visits.
12
Switzerland contributed 2.1 million arrivals in 2023.
13
Ireland sent 2.5 million tourists, up 10.2%.
14
Poland's visitors reached 1.8 million in 2023.
15
Russia, despite restrictions, had 0.9 million arrivals.
16
Sweden tourists totaled 1.6 million.
17
Austria provided 1.2 million visitors.
18
Denmark 1.4 million.
19
Norway 1.1 million.
20
Czech Republic 0.8 million.
21
Romania 1.0 million.
22
Morocco 0.7 million.
23
Argentina 0.6 million.
24
Brazil 0.5 million.
25
Canada 0.4 million.
26
Mexico 0.3 million.
27
China recovered to 0.2 million in 2023.
28
Japan 0.1 million.
29
Australia 0.15 million.
30
South Korea 0.12 million.
Interpretation
Visitor Arrivals Interpretation
Spain is cementing its title as Europe's sun-soaked superstar, with a record-breaking 85 million visitors last year proving that everyone, from French neighbors to Americans crossing an ocean, is answering the siren call of its beaches, culture, and paella.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Spain Tourism Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spain-tourism-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Spain Tourism Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/spain-tourism-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Spain Tourism Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/spain-tourism-statistics.
Sources & references
55 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level