Overview
- The Ministry of Industry and Tourism projected on Monday that Spain will receive 43 million international visitors between July and September and that those visitors will spend about €64 billion over the period.
- Minister Jordi Hereu said the ministry could reach 100 million tourists in 2026 if current trends continue, a projection the government describes as contingent on ongoing booking patterns and geopolitical shifts.
- Officials attribute part of the surge to a 'refuge' effect from the conflict in the Middle East that has redirected travel toward Spain, together with a recent rise in last‑minute reservations that outpaced March expectations.
- Hereu pointed to stronger arrival growth in spring — international arrivals rose about 5.2% in April and 9.5% in May according to ministry figures — and said the boost is already lifting spending and jobs in the sector.
- To manage crowding and spread visits beyond coastal and urban hotspots, the ministry proposed tools including limits on cruise calls, temporary moratoria on new hotels, caps on tourist flats and use of municipal taxes to modulate demand.