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Spain leads Europe’s tourism growth as sector outpaces wider economy, report finds

Data

19 August 2026

Spain leads Europe’s tourism growth as sector outpaces wider economy, report finds

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The photo presents a coastal town with a sandy beach.

WTTC’s Global Trends Report shows that Europe’s Travel & Tourism sector grew faster than the wider economy in 2025, with Spain among the region’s strongest performers and Malta recording the fastest post-pandemic recovery in the EU.

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Publishing org

Editorial team

Related Organisation(s)

World Travel & Tourism Council

Topics
Geographical descriptors

EU-27

Germany

Malta

Netherlands

Spain

Organisation Type

Company with 250 or more employees

Destination Management & Marketing Organisations

Financial Institutions and Investors

Industry Associations and Chambers of Commerce

National authorities

Regional Authorities

SMEs (a company with less than 250 employees)

  • Specific types of tourism

    • Coastal, maritime and inland water tourism

    • Cultural tourism

    • Urban/city tourism

  • Transition Pathway Strategic Areas

    • Changes in tourism demand and opportunities

    • Funding and support measures

    • Tourism strategies

  • Business activities

    • Air passenger transport

    • Hotel and similar accommodation

    • Travel agency activities

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According to WTTC, Europe’s Travel & Tourism sector grew by 2.6% in 2025 to $3.0 trillion and is forecast to expand by 3.6% in 2026. In Spain, tourism accounted for 15.3% of GDP, compared with a European average of 9.4%, while international visitor spending reached $130 billion. The report links this performance to public investment in sustainability and digitalisation, efforts to reduce seasonality and the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030.

Malta recorded the fastest post-pandemic tourism recovery in the EU between 2019 and 2025. Germany remained Europe’s largest Travel & Tourism economy by GDP contribution, while the Netherlands is forecast to record the fastest growth in tourism-related capital investment between 2026 and 2036.

#TourismDevelopment #TourismStrategies #EUTourismStrategy #TourismIndicators

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