Spain welcomed 9.1 million international tourists in April, 5.2% more than in the same month last year, amounting to some 450,000 extra visitors.
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The United Kingdom was once again the main source market, with almost 1.7 million visitors in April, 2.7% more than a year earlier. France took second place, with around 1.3 million tourists (+5.1%), while Germany recorded a 9.1% drop to 1.2 million travellers.
Catalonia was again the main destination for international tourists in April, accounting for 20.8% of all arrivals. It was followed by Andalusia and the Valencian Community, which also saw a high influx of foreign visitors.
With these figures, Spain totals 26.5 million international visitors between January and April, 3.4% more than in the same period of 2025, according to data published on Monday by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
The figure keeps the sector on a path compatible with the symbolic threshold of 100 million tourists a year, a barrier that only a few months ago seemed difficult to reach in 2026.
April marks a turning point
Tourism started the year showing signs of a slowdown. However, growth has gathered pace as spring has progressed. The increase in arrivals in April represents the strongest year-on-year rise recorded in the past 12 months and confirms the strength of international demand for Spain.
Analysts point to several factors behind this trend, among them the recovery of long-haul travel, especially from the American continent, the rebound in business trips and the search for destinations seen as stable in an international environment marked by geopolitical uncertainty.
In this context, several industry experts believe that the conflict in the Middle East may be helping to redirect tourist flows towards destinations perceived as safer, including Spain and other Western European countries.
Although it is difficult to measure the precise impact of this phenomenon, the acceleration seen in March and April coincides with an increase in travellers from long-haul markets and with a recovery in business travel. For the sector, this combination of factors helps explain why tourism growth has strengthened after a more moderate start to the year.
The trend in arrivals reinforces the possibility that Spain will once again end the year with record figures. Nonetheless, the industry stresses that the aim is not only to increase the number of visitors, but also to improve profitability and attract travellers with greater spending power.
If the current trend continues through the summer high season, Spain could come close to the symbolic barrier of 100 million international tourists in a single year, an unprecedented milestone for the national tourism industry. Booking patterns and demand over the coming months will be decisive in determining whether that target ultimately becomes a reality.
