Tourism bats new record with the arrival of 5.4 million foreign visitors in February and 7.6% more expense
New tourism record. Spain received 5.4 million foreign visitors in Februaryan unprecedented figure for a second month of the year, where most of great destinations are still in low season. According to data published on Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), the increase in the number of travelers was accompanied by an increase in similar spending. Foreign tourists left 7,260 million euros in Spain, 7.6% more than a year ago.
The volume of foreign tourists registered in the second month of 2025 exceeds 7.7% to the record of 5 million travelers received a year ago for the same dates. Thus the upward trend continues in the number of arrivals, after in January they visited Spain 6.1% more international travelers than at the start of last year and a 2024 record in which 93.76 million foreign tourists arrived in the country, 10.1% more than in 2023. So far this year, there are 10.46 million The outsiders who have chosen Spain to spend a few days on vacation.
The February rise in the number of tourists is moderate with respect to the growth of 16% noted a year ago. However, from the sector they value this stabilization of the figures and remember that arrivals remain at maximum. “At the moment it does not seem that there will be any abrupt fall. It is not a brake, but a stabilization with respect to a year in which we were already coming from very good figures,” the president of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Housing (Cehat), Jorge Marichal, who said the sector advances in the right path, ” “We will not be eternally growingIt would not be healthy, because we would be in a bubble, “he added.
As usual, Most tourists came from the United Kingdomfrom where they traveled about one million people, 6.8% more than a year ago. The French followed them, who touched the 720,000 and grew by 15.9%, and the Germans, who reached 616,800 tourists, 4.1% more than in 2024. Together with the contribution of these traditional markets, he highlighted the increase in the arrival of travelers from Switzerland, which grew 30.2% to 115,052, as well as From the United States and the rest of America, from where visits increased 11.6% and 17% with 183,989 and 315,733 tourists respectively.
The reception of more international travelers meant registering a higher tourist expense. The total disbursement grew by 7.6% in February With respect to 2024 to touch the 7,260 million euros, 513 million more than a year ago. This is the greatest figure of the historical series for a month of February. The increase was essentially pushed by the greater influx of visitors, since The average tourist spending remained stable at 1,345 euroswith a very slight fall of just 0.04% compared to February 2024. It increased only between the French and the Nordics, which left on average in their stays in Spain by 13% and 9% more money per person.
Instead, The average daily expenditure grew 5.5% to 183 eurossince the average duration of the trips was reduced by 5.3% to an average of 7.35 days. That is, they came less days but spent the same. English and Germans were the ones that contributed the most to this trip reduction. In general computation, the majority stay was between four and seven nights. Almost 2.6 million visitors opted for this duration, 5.6% more than a year ago. The number of visitors increased 15.8% among hikers who did not spend the night, while the volume of tourists with long stays of more than 15 nights barely rebounded 2.6%.
By autonomous communities, the Canary Islands was the main destination of international travelers in February. Hosted 1.44 million, 26.8% of the total. It was followed by Catalonia and Andalusia, with 1.14 and 776,000 tourists, 7.8% and 6.9% more respectively than in February 2024. Instead, instead, instead, The most bulky increases in arrivals were recorded in the Valencian Community, Balearic Islands and Madridwhere 15.2% were received, 11.1% and 10.1% more foreign tourists than a year ago.
In parallel, the communities where travelers most spent were Canary Islands, Catalonia and Madrid, which concentrated respectively 31.2%, 15.8% and 15.7% of the total disbursement. The Capital and the Valencian Community were also where the expense grew most with respect to February 2024. Madrid also stands out as the region where the average daily expenditure per person increased the mostwhich amounted to 4.2% to 1,768 euros. This is the greatest average amount, followed by the 1,568 euros that a tourist is left on average during his visit to the Canary Islands.
