Where visitors to Spain come from and how to welcome them
Knowing where tourists come from helps you decide on languages, information and marketing channels. However, a national ranking does not, by itself, describe demand for your property. Combine it with location, type of stay and actual bookings.
Main source markets: full year 2025
In its December 2025 FRONTUR release, Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) identifies the United Kingdom, France and Germany as the main countries of residence of tourists visiting Spain that year. These are provisional figures for a complete period, not a forecast for the following summer.
| Country of residence | Tourists |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 19,068,319 |
| France | 12,796,815 |
| Germany | 12,016,418 |
Consult the official INE release for details and methodology notes. The variable is country of residence: it should not automatically be equated with nationality or language spoken.
What this ranking does not tell you
It does not show how many bookings a particular apartment will receive, what each guest will pay or which channel they will choose. Nor does it equate to overnight stays: someone may stay one night or several. Tourism spending data includes items other than accommodation and is not owner income.
Compare your area and product before investing. A property near a workplace may serve a different combination of needs from coastal holiday accommodation, even though both are in Spain.
How to turn data into useful improvements
- Prioritise essential information. Arrival, access, Wi-Fi, rules and contact details must be understandable.
- Review translations. Literal translations can make instructions, times or bed descriptions confusing.
- Observe frequently asked questions. They provide a practical signal for improving the accommodation guide.
- Check channels. Assess their audiences, costs and net results, not just advertised reach.
- Measure the service. Review incidents and understanding of instructions without turning origin into a stereotype.
An example of a decision
If several bookings ask how to get there from the airport, prepare a guide with options, location details and links to transport sources. If questions concern beds or stairs, improve photographs and descriptions. These actions address observed needs; they do not require attributing identical preferences to everyone from a country.
The original version of this article used recovery figures from 2019–2022. They have been replaced so the general discussion refers to an identified full year. To prepare your guest support, consult our guide to international guests.
How to compare your bookings with the destination
Prepare a table covering equivalent periods, with nights sold, length of stay and channel. Use only data you are entitled to process for that purpose, and work with aggregates. If the traveller mix changes, first check whether a new channel, promotion or change in availability explains it.
Then choose an improvement you can test: translated access instructions, bed descriptions, support during specific hours or transport information. Record when you apply it and observe whether questions or incidents decrease. Do not automatically attribute to nationality something that may result from stay length, trip type or incomplete information.
