Spain’s tourism trade leads the nationwide financial system and completed 2025 with file effects. Exceltur, the Alliance for Tourism Excellence, launched a brand new document in step with which the field added 218,459 million euros to the financial system. This equals 13% of GDP and is a brand new prime. Expansion reached 2.5% year-on-year which was once then again slower than the 5.5% fee in 2024 and the ten.5% fee in 2023.
The yr marked a transformation towards what Exceltur calls a better, higher enlargement type. Óscar Perelli serves as govt vice-president of Exceltur. He famous that Spanish tourism led the nationwide upward push in exertions productiveness with a three.8% build up. The Spanish moderate was once 2.8%. Employment rose by way of 47,815 employees (+2.3%). Everlasting contracts made up 91.9% of those new jobs. The transient employment fee fell to 7.6%, which is definitely underneath the nationwide moderate of 12.3%. Wages additionally greater. Collective bargaining agreements equipped a three.9% moderate elevate. This fee beat 2025 inflation and gave employees actual positive factors in buying energy.
Firms carried out neatly. Their effects progressed by way of 5.6% and beat gross sales enlargement of four%. Additionally, vacationer crowding eased for the primary time. The day by day moderate dropped by way of 20,000 vacationers in comparison to 2024 which introduced the ratio all the way down to 7.4 vacationers in keeping with 100 citizens. Exceltur hyperlinks this drop to fewer vacationers relatively than inhabitants enlargement. This pattern helped cut back social pressure and protests towards prime vacationer numbers.
Fewer condo homes performed a big function on this trade. The choice of vacationer properties fell by way of 4.1% for the primary time. This equals 15,963 fewer devices. The overall on the finish of the yr was once 366,375. Main towns noticed the most important drops. Ibiza fell by way of 79.8%, Palma de Mallorca by way of 63.2%, Santiago de Compostela by way of 38.8%, San Sebastián by way of 38.1%, and Barcelona by way of 36.6%. A brand new virtual registry for leases led to this pattern. It helped keep an eye on listings and got rid of many unlawful ones.
Spanish tourism nonetheless will depend on world tourism. Overseas vacationer arrivals grew by way of 3.4% and in a single day remains rose by way of 1.4%. Spending greater by way of a robust 7.9%. However home call for stalled. In a single day remains by way of locals fell 3.9%, and spending stayed flat. Spanish vacationers selected to move for vacations out of the country as a substitute.
Exceltur predicts that the expansion will proceed in 2026 however will decelerate. They be expecting the field so as to add 229,372 million euros to the financial system which is a 2.4% upward push. That determine is somewhat above the anticipated Spanish GDP enlargement of two.2%. Tourism will make up 13.1% of the whole financial system. Trade house owners be expecting gross sales to upward push by way of 3.9%, which is not up to the 4% fee in 2025. Additionally they be expecting effects to make stronger by way of 5.9%.
International uncertainty surrounds this forecast. Geopolitical tensions stay prime. They come with imaginable coverage adjustments from the U.S. below Trump. Additionally, primary economies are weakening. Climate patterns and emerging absenteeism additionally pose dangers. Absenteeism within the sector has reached about 20%. However different elements lend a hand the trade. Managers use synthetic intelligence extra regularly. Companies plan to take a position. About 42.4% of businesses say they are going to spend extra. Key supply markets additionally carry out neatly.
Spanish tourism sector faces large demanding situations. Vacationer housing grows with out regulate. Absenteeism is prime. New tourism taxes and charges upload prices. Unhealthy exposure and shipping jams also are dangers. Exceltur requested Aena to lengthen the velocity hikes. Additionally they requested Adif to take a position extra to strengthen “site visitors excellence.”
Some areas really feel extra constructive than others. The Valencian Neighborhood expects gross sales to develop by way of 9.9%, Murcia expects 8.8%, the Balearic Islands forecast 6.6%, and Castilla-Los angeles Mancha predicts 5.5%. Perelli spoke at the symbolic milestone of 100 million world vacationers, following 97 million in 2025. He famous that the field values sustainable contribution over quantity. Firms don’t care in the event that they exceed 100 million vacationers. They would like the contribution from nationwide and world guests to develop. Companies be expecting more potent enlargement from home call for in 2026.
Spanish tourism had years of explosive post-pandemic restoration. It’s now coming into a section of mature, fine quality steadiness. New data usually are completed in 2026. Good fortune will depend on managing exterior dangers and inside efficiencies. It additionally calls for balancing financial positive factors with social and environmental sustainability.
