San Sebastian is just one of the Spanish cities that seems to have it all: from fantastic food, to culture, architecture and beaches.
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When it comes to travel, Spain has it all. With almost 5,000 miles of coastline and 639 Blue Flag beaches, 33 ski resorts, 290 Michelin-starred restaurants, countless medieval villages, museums and architectural marvels, it is no wonder that Spain is estimated to have received around 94 million international visitors last year.
Travelers Spend More In Spain
In the first seven months of 2024, Spain welcomed more than 53.4 million international arrivals, a 12% increase compared to the same period in 2023, according to a report published by La Moncloa, the official website of the president of the Government of Spain and the Council of Ministers. In the same timeframe, spending by international tourists grew 18.6% to €71,108 billion.
Data shows U.S. travelers are spending more than ever in Spain.
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2024: Record-Breaking Travel To Spain
Meanwhile, a study from CaixaBank Research concluded that Spain’s tourism sector “broke all records” in the summer of 2024. Its analysis of tourist expenditure based on data from purchase transactions using CaixaBank point-of-sale terminals indicates that international spending in Spain for the months of July and August 2024 stood 50.4% and 46.2% above 2019 levels, respectively. The report also found the growth in expenditure by tourists from North America–with a massive 89.9% increase in spending in August 2024 compared to the same month in 2019–”particularly noteworthy”.
“Since 2019, inbound tourism from North America has been one of the best performing segments of international tourism demand in Spain,” confirms David Cesar Heymann, an economist at CaixaBank Research, adding: “Overall, international demand has been strong…[and] demand from North America has been particularly strong. This is underpinned by the higher level of economic growth in the United States vis-à-vis other markets and the strength of the dollar against the Euro.”
One company that has been quick to capitalize on this booming demand is United Airlines. Darren Scott, United’s Director of Atlantic/Hawaii Planning explains that the carrier has grown its seats to Spain by more than a whopping 80% compared with 2019. United now operates year-round direct flights to Madrid and Barcelona (in the past these services were less than daily in winter), alongside new seasonal connections between Newark and Tenerife, Palma de Mallorca and Málaga. This summer, the airline will open a sixth direct destination and tenth direct route, connecting the northern Spanish city of Bilbao to Newark.
“During the pandemic, we always believed travel demand would rebound,” says Scott. “Whereas other carriers retired aircraft during this period, we had aircraft ready to invest in leisure travel opportunities to unique destinations like Mallorca.”
United Airlines’ first arrival at Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport, on June 1, 2023.
Image courtesy United Airlines
Tourists Favor Catalonia And The Islands
From January to July 2024, the most popular regions of Spain among foreign visitors were Catalonia, home to Barcelona, Girona and the Costa Brava, with 11.5 million arrivals (a 10.5% increase compared to the same period in 2023), the Balearic Islands of Mallorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera, with 8.7 million visitors (a 7.0% increase) and the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro with 8.7 million visitors (a 10.3% increase), according to La Moncloa’s report.
But it’s not all fun in the sun. In 2024, Spanish hotspots like Barcelona, the Balearics and the Canaries all witnessed anti-tourism protests as locals vented their frustration with overcrowding and spiraling living costs. In June, the mayor of Barcelona announced a plan to ban all short-term apartment rentals from 2028, while Spain’s Prime Minister recently proposed an “unprecedented” tax of up to 100% on real estate bought by non-EU foreign nationals.
Despite this, interest in travel to Spain shows no signs of slowing. The experts at CaixaBank Research expect North American tourism to carry on overperforming on the back of continued GDP growth in the United States (2,7% according to the latest IMF forecasts), as well as a persistently strong dollar.
The Balearic Islands, and Mallorca in particular, are a major draw for U.S. travelers during the summer months.
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Sustained Growth In 2025
“We forecast not only further increases in tourism demand from North America, but also that the rate of growth of inbound international tourism from North America will continue to be higher than the overall rate of growth of international tourism in Spain also in 2025,” says David Cesar Heymann.
“We monitor demand trends very closely, see where people want to go and adjust our network accordingly,” continues Darren Scott of United, adding that, apart from expanding with a sixth Spanish destination in Bilbao, the airline will also extend its seasonal service to Mallorca this summer.
“I expect we’ll continue growing and broadening our offerings to Spain to meet customer demand and ensure that leisure travelers have more choices to reach more places,” Scott concludes: “I think our future in Spain is very bright.”
Benjamin Rhatigan, a co-founder of Arrival Projects.
Photo Jorge Casado Sanz
Benjamin Rhatigan, a co-founder of Arrival Projects, a brand strategy and marketing consultancy for hotels, destinations and traveltech companies, believes additional factors driving the demand from U.S. travelers include an increased perception of value, combined with a growing appreciation for higher-budget experiences.
“It’s not necessarily bank-breaking luxury, but I see more Americans willing to pay for unique experiences that are worth flying across the ocean for: like winery visits, boat rentals, or stays at exclusive resorts in destinations like Mallorca, for example”, he says, adding that, while Spain has a highly competitive value proposition beyond the historical narrative of budget travel for sun, sea and sand, it has often struggled to express those features.
Rhatigan, who has spent more than two decades living outside his native New York, most of it in Spain, says the country will always have the “triple-pronged draw of a wonderful climate, rich gastronomic and cultural offerings, and beautiful sun and sea destinations”. He also believes this is being further strengthened by structural support like “increased flight connectivity, strengthened marketing efforts in the U.S., and visitor interest in exploring beyond stalwarts like Italy, France, and the UK”.
Benjamin Rhatigan of Arrival Projects encourages travelers to explore Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
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Spanish Travel Tips For 2025
Looking ahead, what advice does Rhatigan have for U.S. travelers planning a trip to Spain?
“Most locals you’ll encounter in Spain are friendly and curious about visitors, especially in areas that are just opening to tourism and feel they have a lot more to share,” says Rhatigan, while emphasizing that there is a growing appreciation for travelers who are respectful and sensitive to the relationships between visitors and full-time residents.
“There are dozens of itineraries that can make for a truly original Spain trip,” he continues, adding that anyone looking for experience-based travel, should consider combining a hike on the Camino de Santiago with visiting regions like Galicia and Asturias that are much cooler and greener in summer than, say, Barcelona or Madrid.
“While my first love will always be Barcelona, I’ve enjoyed spending time in the Canaries lately,” enthuses Rhatigan, who has spent the last two years back and forth between Barcelona and Lanzarote. He encourages travelers to look beyond the larger, more popular Canary Islands, concluding:
“The smaller islands of El Hierro, La Gomera and La Palma are just starting to get noticed and offer a universe of virgin tourism experiences especially for adventurers, hikers, divers, and extreme sports folks.”