Spain Tourism to Hit €260B by 2025, Boosting Economy

Spain’s tourism sector is expected to reach a new high by 2025, with its contribution to the economy forecasted to hit €260.5 billion. This would make up almost 16% of Spain’s GDP, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). The latest research from WTTC and Oxford Economics shows tourism remains one of the country’s main economic drivers with an estimated growth rate of 4.7% year-on-year.

By the end of 2025, the tourism sector is projected to provide 3.2 million jobs in Spain. This would account for 14.4% of total employment. International tourist spending is expected to rise to €113.2 billion, a 5.7% increase from the previous year. Domestic spending should reach €84.9 billion, growing by 2.4%.

In 2024, Spain’s tourism sector experienced its best performance since 2019. It contributed €248.7 billion to the country’s GDP, which was 15.6% of the economy, marking an 8% increase from 2023. The sector employed 3 million people, nearly 14% of all jobs. International tourists spent €107.1 billion, a 10.9% rise compared to 2023, while domestic tourists spent €82.9 billion, up 2.2%. Leisure travel made up the majority of spending at 88.3%, with business travel accounting for 11.7%.

The top countries sending visitors to Spain in 2024 were the United Kingdom (20%), France (14%), and Germany (13%). Spaniards most often traveled to France (25%), Italy (14%), the United Kingdom (8%), and Portugal (8%).

Looking ahead, the WTTC forecasts that by 2035 Spain’s tourism sector could add €315.7 billion to the GDP, more than 17% of the economy. Employment in tourism could reach 4 million jobs, an increase of 700,000 from current levels.

At the regional level, the European Union’s travel and tourism sector contributed nearly €1.8 trillion to GDP in 2024, over 10% of the total economy. This was a 6% increase from 2019. Employment grew by 4.7% to 24.6 million jobs, about one in nine across the region. Domestic spending in the EU reached €1 trillion, and international visitor spending totaled €515 billion.

WTTC expects the EU sector to grow to nearly €1.9 trillion by 2025, representing 10.5% of the economy. Employment linked to tourism could rise to 25.7 million people, or 12% of total jobs. International spending is predicted to increase by more than 11% to €573 billion, with domestic spending up 1.6% to more than €1.1 trillion.

Spain’s tourism sector is a key pillar of the national economy, supporting millions of jobs and driving growth. Its ongoing focus on sustainability and innovation aims to keep it competitive in the global market.