In 2024, the sector achieved its best result since 2019, with a contribution of almost €249 billion to GDP
The growth of international tourism expenditures is nearly 11 percent per year
Madrid – 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.
The latest Economic Impact Research, prepared by WTTC and Oxford Economics in collaboration, confirms that tourism is one of the main economic drivers of the country, with an increase estimated to be 4.7% year-on-year.
WTTC estimates that by 2025, the sector will provide 3.2 million Spanish jobs. This is equivalent to 14.4% 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.
Spain is still a global tourism leader. Data shows a sector that is dynamic, resilient, and always evolving. It not only promotes economic growth but also quality jobs, and it helps to develop regionally. Forecasts are positive for 2025, and Spain’s commitment to sustainability and innovative thinking will help it to be a leader in the global tourism industry, despite a challenging international climate. Julia Simpson is the President and CEO of WTTC
Look back at 2024
The Spanish tourism industry had its best year in 2024 since 2019. Its contribution to GDP rose by almost 8% to €248.7 billion, or 15.6% of the economy. The company employed nearly 3 million people, or 14% of all jobs in the country.
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. This segment accounted for 56.4%, and 43.6% respectively of the total spending. Leisure travel was responsible for 88.3% total expenditures, compared with 11.7% of business travel.
In 2024 the United Kingdom (20%) will be the leading source of arrivals to Spain, followed by France (14%) & Germany (13%).
The top four destinations for Spaniards are France (25%), Italy (14%), 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 number was almost 6% higher than the previous year. The number of jobs associated with this sector increased by 4.7% on an annual basis, reaching 24.6 million, or one in nine 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. The sector’s employment is estimated at 25.7 million, or about 12% of 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.
To view the full fact sheet and for additional information, please visit WTTC’s Research Hub.
What WTTC is About
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) represents the global travel & tourism private sector. Members include 200 CEOs, Chairs and Presidents of the world’s leading travel & tourism companies from all geographies covering all industries. For more than 30 years, WTTC has been committed to raising the awareness of governments and the public of the economic and social significance of the travel & tourism sector.
