Travel/Spain-wide/Madrid
Spain welcomed 12.3 million foreign tourists in August, and visitors from the US jumped by a third
INE figures show 70.4 million arrivals in the first eight months of 2026. Andalusia grew fastest among the big regions.
MSMarta Sanz, heritage and travel writer
· 2 min
- August arrivals
- 12.26 million (+9.2%)
- January–August
- 70.36 million (+5.4%)
- August spending
- €17.84 billion (+9.2%)
- US visitors in August
- 481,911 (+31.9%)
- Region
- Spain-wide
Sources appear in the margin next to the paragraph they support.
Spain received 12.3 million international tourists in August, 9.2% more than in the same month of 2025, according to provisional data from the National Statistics Institute (INE). In the first eight months of the year, arrivals rose 5.4% to almost 70.4 million.1
The United Kingdom remained the largest market in August with 2.41 million visitors, followed by France with 2.06 million and Germany with 1.36 million. The fastest growth came from the United States: 481,911 visitors, up 31.9%.2
Where they went
The Balearic Islands received the most tourists in August, 2.6 million, ahead of Catalonia with 2.38 million and Andalusia with 2.07 million. Andalusia grew by 21.3%, the biggest rise among the main regions, while the Canary Islands were almost flat.2
What they spent
International visitors spent €17.84 billion in August, also 9.2% more than a year earlier. The average tourist spent €1,455 per trip and €202 per day. From January to August, spending reached €99.89 billion.3
The figures are provisional and will be revised in March 2027.1
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Marta Sanz is a heritage and travel writer based in Madrid. Marta studied art history at the Complutense University and has guided visitors through Madrid's museums for a decade before moving into journalism.