Spain has achieved another tourism milestone this year. The nation welcomed 11.3 million international tourists in August, as reported by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
It represents a 2.9 percent rise compared to the same month in 2024, coming after a historic July that saw 11 million international visitors, marking a 1.6 percent increase from the previous year.
The combined total of the two months reached 22.3 million visitors coming to Spain, significantly surpassing the 21.8 million recorded in the same period in 2024.
Rising figures occur even amid another summer marked by intense anti-tourist demonstrations from struggling locals—and a few overdue actions taken by officials to address over-tourism.
Spain breaks tourism records once more
Approximately 66.8 million travelers from abroad came to Spain during the first eight months of 2025, setting a new high that exceeded the same period in the previous year by 3.9 percent, according to the INE.
The figure indicates that Spain's position as a top vacation destination continues to be unmatched, primarily fueled by visitors from the UK, France, and Germany.
And evolving holiday patterns indicate that the autumn season will maintain its unprecedented momentum.
Travel patterns have changed significantly in Spain, withshoulder seasonsgaining more preference compared to the sweltering summer.
Less than 40 percent of Spanish travelers took a vacation in August, which is typically their off-month. Instead, approximately one out of six Spaniards intended to go on vacation in September this year, as reported by Spain's National Observatory of Outbound Tourism (ObservaTUR).
A lot of global travelers are following the same pattern, maintaining the popularity of beaches, bars, and resorts well beyond August.
Accommodation costs in the Canary Islands, a key indicator for Spanish tourism, increased by 5.3 percent from September 2023 to 2024. They are now approximately 25 percent higher than in 2019, as reported by the INE.
Are Spain's efforts to combat overtourism not meeting expectations?
Ongoing demonstrations have occurred regularly throughout Spain in recent years, calling on officials to tackle the growing tourism challenges.
Some mitigation measures have now been introduced.
In September, the authorities declared the exclusion of approximately 53,000 vacation apartments from the Single Register of Tourist and Seasonal Rentals, which will now transition to long-term leasing.
We have identified thousands of irregularities in many of these properties that are set to be used as holiday and tourist rentals. And what we plan to do is remove 53,000 homes from this register so that they no longer...permanent rentals"for young people and families in our country," said Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.
The Ministry of Housing has requested travel lodging platforms, like Airbnb and Booking.com, to delete advertisements for these properties.
Barcelona has revealed intentions to fully eliminateshort-term tourist apartmentsby 2028, reintroducing thousands of properties into the long-term rental market.
In 2023, the city reduced the daily number of cruise ship visits to its main harbor from 10 to seven.
Málaga, a popular summer destination that has historically attracted a lively tourist crowd, initiated a campaign to enhance visitor conduct.
A list of 10 highly recommended guidelines was displayed on buses, billboards, and online platforms, encouraging tourists to maintain low noise levels, particularly during nighttime; refrain from yelling or playing loud music in neighborhoods; and utilize specified waste containers and restrooms.
In the Balearic Islands, enhanced regulations regarding alcohol use and party boats have been implemented to prevent overindulgence.
‘The island cannot cope’
Although steps have been taken to limit overtourism, the number of visitors keeps increasing – maybe because these actions do not address tourist numbers effectively enough. While addressing disrespectful visitor behavior is important, some places are significantly affected by the large volume of tourists.volume of arrivals.
The Canary Islandsattracted over 1.55 million international tourists in March, representing a 0.9 percent increase from the previous year's high.
They are controlling the resources of the archipelago to such an extent thatlocalsare being compelled to reside in their vehicles and even in caves due tohousingis quickly acquired by tour operators.
"We don't have an issue with individual travelers, but the industry is continuously expanding and consuming a significant amount of resources, which the island is struggling to handle," protester Ivan Cerdena Molina said to the media last year.
Local campaign groupsare now demanding a stop to harmful hotel developments across the islands and the construction of a racing circuit on Tenerife; a pause on new tourism projects; assured access for locals to medical care and housing; and an effective environmental tourism tax.
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