Spain welcomed 17.1 million international visitors in the first quarter, up 5.7% compared to the first three months of 2024, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

This figure represents a new record for Spain, which is the second tourist destination in the world after France with nearly 93.8 million foreign visitors in 2024, the Ministry of Tourism said in a statement quoted by AFP.

This record is accompanied by strong growth in tourist spending, which reached €23.5 billion in the first quarter, up 7.2% compared to the same period in 2024.

This was highlighted by the ministry, which has been advocating for years to improve the quality of the Spanish tourism sector.

According to INE, the main countries of origin of tourists welcomed in the first three months of 2025 were the United Kingdom (3.1 million, +4.6%), France (2.1 million, +7.1%) and Germany (also 2.1 million, but with a decline of 0.1%).

The British also ranked first in terms of tourism spending (15.9% of the total), ahead of Germany (12.3%) and the Scandinavian countries (8.8%). In March alone, the average daily expenditure per tourist was €188.

This new surge in visitor numbers comes at a time when, for several months, there has been growing opposition to excessive tourism in Spain, with local residents complaining about infrastructure overload and a surge in rents.

Given this situation, it is necessary to continue with the "diversification" of destinations and the "deseasonalization" of visitor numbers in order to "redistribute the benefits across the whole territory," stressed Tourism Minister Jordi Guirao. | BGNES