The U.K. was the leading source market, sending more than 2.4 million tourists, up 9.3% year-on-year, according to Spain's National Statistics Institute (INE).

France followed with nearly 2.1 million visitors, a 2.1% increase, while Germany ranked third with almost 1.4 million, up 4.5%.

A carriage driver makes his way through crowds of tourists in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, April 24, 2025. Photo by Reuters

International tourists spent €17.84 billion (US$20 billion) in August, bringing total spending during the first eight months of 2026 to €99.89 billion, up 8% year on year.

Hotels remained the most popular accommodation choice, welcoming 8.04 million tourists in August, up 6.6% year on year. They accounted for 63.4% of total tourist spending, or €11.316 billion, a 7.4% increase.

Tourist rental accommodation saw stronger growth, with arrivals rising 13.7% to 1.57 million travelers.

In the first eight months of 2026, the number of tourists who visited Spain increased by 5.4% and reached almost 70.4 million.

Spain expects to welcome 100 million tourists this year after receiving a record 97 million visitors in 2025.

The country has emerged as a bright spot in the global tourism landscape amid the Middle East crisis, which has caused tourist arrivals to decline in many tourism-dependent countries.