The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) forecasts that by 2025 the travel and tourism sector in Spain could reach a new all-time high, with an estimated contribution of €260.5 billion to GDP, equivalent to almost 16% of the national economy. 

According to the latest Economic Impact Research (EIR), prepared by WTTC in collaboration with Oxford Economics, these forecasts reinforce the role of tourism as one of the country's main economic drivers, with an estimated year-on-year increase of 4.7%.

WTTC projects that by the end of 2025 the sector will account for 3.2 million jobs in Spain, equivalent to 14.4% of total employment.

By 2025, spending by international tourists is expected to reach €113.2 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 5.7%, while domestic spending could reach 84.9 billion euros, 2.4% more than the previous year.

Julia Simpson, President and CEO of WTTC, said: ‘Spain remains a true global tourism powerhouse. The data reflects a dynamic, resilient and constantly evolving sector, which not only drives economic growth, but also creates quality jobs and promotes regional development. 

‘The forecasts for 2025 are very positive, and 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.’

A look back to 2024

During 2024, the Spanish tourism sector experienced its best year since 2019. Its contribution to GDP rose by almost 8% to €248.7 billion, or 15.6% of the economy. It also employed 3 million people, nearly 14% of the country's total jobs.

Spending by international tourists was €107.1 billion (up 10.9% year-on-year), while domestic spending reached 82.9 billion, up 2.2% on 2023. These segments accounted for 56.4% and 43.6% of total expenditure, respectively. Leisure travel accounted for 88.3% of total expenditure, compared to 11.7% for business travel expenditure. 

The main source countries for arrivals into Spain in 2024 were the United Kingdom (20%), France (14%) and Germany (13%). 

The destinations most visited by Spaniards were France (25%), Italy (14%), the United Kingdom (8%) and Portugal (8%).

The next decade

Looking ahead to 2035, the WTTC projects that the tourism sector could contribute €315.7 billion to the GDP, which would represent more than 17% of the Spanish economy, as well as 4 million jobs, 700,000 more than at present. 

Regional data: European Union

In 2024, the EU travel and tourism sector contributed almost €1.8 trillion to the region's GDP, or more than 10% of its economy. This figure exceeded 2019 levels by almost 6%. Employment associated with the sector grew by 4.7%, year-on-year, to 24.6 million jobs, accounting for one in nine jobs across the region.

Domestic travel spending in the EU reached €1 trillion, while spending by international visitors reached €515 billion.

By 2025, WTTC forecasts that the regional sector will reach almost €1.9 trillion, representing 10.5% of the EU economy. Employment linked to the sector is estimated to total 25.7 million people, or 12% of the regional total.

In addition, the agency expects international spending to grow by more than 11% to €573 billion, and domestic spending to increase by 1.6% to more than €1.1 trillion.