Spain's tourism industry poised to outperform €260 billion mark by the year's end in 2025.
Spanish Tourism Soaring, Breaking Records and Setting the Pace
In the wake of new tourism regulations and the struggle against overtourism, Spain's travel and tourism sector is set to reach unparalleled heights, raking in a whopping €260.5 billion to the national economy by 2025 - that's almost 16% of Spain's GDP! This promising prediction stems from an analysis by The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) in collaboration with Oxford Economics.
Breaking Boundaries
The sector is poised to break barriers, reaching its best result since 2019 with a staggering 11% growth and a contribution of almost €249 billion to GDP in 2024. The numbers only get better, with an expected growth of 4.7% year-on-year.
The United Kingdom, France, and Germany are set to be the main sources of tourists in 2024, with the UK leading the pack at 20%, followed by France at 14% and Germany at 13%. A record 4.2 million US tourists are expected to visit Spain, marking a 11.2% increase compared to 2023. This growth can be partly attributed to Spain's expanded connectivity, offering 24 direct routes to the United States and connecting 11 US cities with five Spanish cities.
As for the countries most visited by Spaniards, France takes the cake at 25%, followed closely by Italy at 14%, the United Kingdom at 8%, and Portugal at 8%.
A Global Tourism Powerhouse
By the end of 2025, the sector is expected to account for 3.2 million jobs in Spain, making up approximately 14.4% of total employment. International tourist spending is projected to reach €113.2 billion, growing by a healthy 5.7%, while domestic spending is expected to reach €84.9 billion, a 2.4% increase from the previous year.
Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, hailed Spain as "a truly global tourism powerhouse." She went on to praise the dynamic, resilient, and ever-evolving sector, which not only drives economic growth but also creates quality jobs and promotes regional development. With a firm commitment to sustainability and innovation, Spain is well-positioned to lead the future of global tourism, even in a challenging international environment.
Europe´s Recovery
Within the European Union region, the travel and tourism sector contributed €1.8 trillion to the bloc's GDP in 2024, surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels by almost 6%. Employment linked to the sector grew by 4.7%, year-on-year, to 24.6 million jobs, making up one in nine jobs across the region.
Domestic travel spending in the EU reached €1 trillion while spending by international visitors reached €515 billion. These figures are set to grow, with international spending projected to increase by more than 11% to €573 billion, while domestic spending is anticipated to rise by 1.6% to over €1.1 trillion by the end of 2025.
The WTTC anticipates that the regional sector will reach almost €1.9 trillion by the end of 2025, representing 10.5% of the EU economy. Employment linked to the sector is estimated to total 25.7 million people, making up 12% of the regional total.
- Spain's travel and tourism sector, dubbed as a "global tourism powerhouse," aims to contribute significantly to the economy, targeting nearly €261 billion by 2025.
- As part of its expansion, the sector plans to create over 3.2 million jobs in Spain by 2025, accounting for approximately 14.4% of total employment.
- The tourism industry is also expected to prioritize sustainability and innovation, positioning Spain to lead the future of global tourism in a challenging international environment.
- In the European Union, the travel and tourism sector is predicted to surpass pre-COVID-19 levels by almost 6% in 2024, contributing €1.8 trillion to the bloc's GDP, with Spain leading the way as a key player.
