On the football pitch as on the economy, Spain has outpaced France for several years now.
Tourism is one of the last pillars where France still holds a lead. But for how long will that last?
In a 2050 tourism report, Google predicted that Spain would become, by that time, the world’s leading tourist power, with 130 million visitors, compared to 125 million for France.
The Mountain View firm did not specify the exact date of the overtaking. That milestone could occur sooner than expected.
According to El País, the destination closed the best summer season in its history, with 44 million foreign travelers, more than the government in Spain had anticipated.
Tourism is one of the last pillars where France still holds a lead. But for how long will that last?
In a 2050 tourism report, Google predicted that Spain would become, by that time, the world’s leading tourist power, with 130 million visitors, compared to 125 million for France.
The Mountain View firm did not specify the exact date of the overtaking. That milestone could occur sooner than expected.
According to El País, the destination closed the best summer season in its history, with 44 million foreign travelers, more than the government in Spain had anticipated.
Spain races toward the 100-million-tourist milestone
In August alone, 12.3 million international visitors were welcomed.
According to the Spanish newspaper, the country should surpass the 100-million tourist threshold in 2026. For reference, France recorded 102 million international tourists in 2025.
But growth is not the same on either side of the Pyrenees.
While INSEE in France reports a 1.1% rise in summer overnight stays, i.e., 2.8 million more overnight stays than in 2025, the momentum is decidedly stronger in Madrid.
Even just for August, the number of foreign tourists rose by 9.2% in Spain. In France, international travelers did not advance over the past summer.
Between January and early September 2026, no fewer than 70.4 million foreign travelers visited Spain, up 5.4%. And Jordi Hereu, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, underscores the point.
At the WTTC Global Champion Award, he unveiled figures that should alarm Bercy.
“The sector is expected to grow by 3.7% in 2026, while international visitor spending should rise by 5.3%.
In 2025, Spain recorded $130.1 billion in international visitor spending, the highest level in Europe and the third in the world“, reports a press release summarizing Jordi Hereu’s statements.
According to the Spanish newspaper, the country should surpass the 100-million tourist threshold in 2026. For reference, France recorded 102 million international tourists in 2025.
But growth is not the same on either side of the Pyrenees.
While INSEE in France reports a 1.1% rise in summer overnight stays, i.e., 2.8 million more overnight stays than in 2025, the momentum is decidedly stronger in Madrid.
Even just for August, the number of foreign tourists rose by 9.2% in Spain. In France, international travelers did not advance over the past summer.
Between January and early September 2026, no fewer than 70.4 million foreign travelers visited Spain, up 5.4%. And Jordi Hereu, Spain’s Minister of Industry and Tourism, underscores the point.
At the WTTC Global Champion Award, he unveiled figures that should alarm Bercy.
“The sector is expected to grow by 3.7% in 2026, while international visitor spending should rise by 5.3%.
In 2025, Spain recorded $130.1 billion in international visitor spending, the highest level in Europe and the third in the world“, reports a press release summarizing Jordi Hereu’s statements.
With such growth, at this pace, Spain could well move dangerously close to France by 2027, if not overtake it.
Even if, as a reminder, it remains extremely difficult for a European country to know the exact number of foreign travelers, since there are no border controls in Europe for European nationals.
Even if, as a reminder, it remains extremely difficult for a European country to know the exact number of foreign travelers, since there are no border controls in Europe for European nationals.
