Spain Shatters Tourism Record as Residents Demand Relief From Housing Crisis

Key Points

• Spain welcomed 96.8 million foreign visitors in 2025, generating €134.7 billion in spending and cementing its position as the world’s second most-visited country
• Tourism represents 12.6% of Spain’s GDP and employs 3 million people, making it one of Europe’s most tourism-dependent economies
• Anti-tourism protests have intensified nationwide, with Barcelona moving to eliminate all 10,000 short-term rental licenses by 2028 amid a severe housing affordability crisis

A third consecutive year of record-breaking tourism has placed Spain at a crossroads between economic prosperity and social unrest.

The country received 96,770,515 foreign visitors in 2025, a 3.2% increase from the previous year, while tourist spending surged 6.8% to reach €134.7 billion.

The figures underscore tourism‘s outsized role in the Spanish economy. The sector accounts for 12.6% of GDP and supports approximately 3 million jobs, making Spain one of Europe’s most tourism-dependent nations.

British travelers led arrivals with 19.1 million visits, followed by France and Germany, though both showed signs of weakening demand.

Conservative economists and industry representatives argue the numbers validate Spain’s tourism model. A PwC study found that tourist rentals alone generate €1.9 billion for Barcelona’s economy and support 40,000 jobs.

Industry voices maintain that short-term rentals represent less than 1% of housing stock and that protesters are targeting the wrong culprit.

Spain Tourism Boom Sparks Housing Backlash

Progressive critics and housing activists counter that nearly 97 million annual visitors—double Spain’s population—have created an unsustainable burden on local communities.

Barcelona rents have climbed 62-72% over the past decade, while in Mallorca, approximately 1,000 residents were living in vehicles by 2024 due to housing scarcity.

Throughout 2024 and 2025, coordinated demonstrations erupted across Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca, Granada, and the Canary Islands. Protesters wielded signs reading “Your Airbnb was my home” and demanded bans on vacation rentals, cruise ship moratoriums, and tourist caps.

Authorities are attempting to navigate between competing interests. Barcelona announced it will eliminate all short-term rental licenses by November 2028, a measure upheld by Spain‘s Constitutional Court.

Nationally, regulators fined Airbnb €65 million for listing illegal properties. Minister of Tourism Jordi Hereu has emphasized “quality over quantity,” pointing to spending growth outpacing visitor growth as evidence of a strategic shift toward sustainability.

Whether Spain can maintain its economic dependence on tourism while addressing resident grievances remains uncertain. What is clear is that the world’s second most-visited country has become a testing ground for the limits of mass tourism.

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