Spain’s tourism boom is gaining pace in 2026 as instability in the Middle East pushes some travellers toward Spanish destinations, industry figures and experts said.
Spain received 9.1 million international visitors in April, a record for the month. The figure was 5.2 per cent higher than in April 2025, according to official tourist arrival data.
The country welcomed 97 million foreign visitors in 2025 and remains the world’s second-biggest tourist destination after France.
Fede Fuster, president of Benidorm’s local tourism association, said Spain could reach 100 million tourists this year if current growth continues.
Francisco Femenia-Serra, a geography lecturer at Madrid’s Complutense University, said crises in the eastern Mediterranean or Middle East often make Spain appear safer to travellers.
He said some tourists who might normally choose Turkey or Egypt because of lower prices could instead visit Spain.
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Dubai International Airport saw passenger numbers fall by 66 percent in March after flights and bookings dropped because of the Iranian situation.
Tourism directly contributes 13 percent of Spain’s gross domestic product. However, local anger over housing costs, congestion and environmental pressure has grown in Barcelona, Valencia, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said in 2025 that Spain had “too many Airbnbs and not enough homes.” Barcelona has said it will revoke all 10,000 short-term apartment licences by 2028.
