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High prices push tourists to rethink Spain holidays despite record takings
Shorter stays and rising costs signal a shift in travel habits at home and abroad
Spain’s tourism industry may be breaking revenue records, but new figures suggest the sector’s golden goose might be losing a little of its shine as high prices push both Spaniards and foreign visitors to change how and where they travel.Although total tourism revenue hit a record €134.7 billion in 2025, strengthening the sector’s long-term growth story, deeper trends point to a “slowdown” in certain areas of travel behaviour and structural shifts in holiday patterns. Even with record revenue, experts say there are signs that high prices are beginning to influence decisions on where people travel.
New data from the National Institute of Statistics shows that overnight hotel stays reached record highs at the end of 2025, but this was driven almost entirely by foreign visitors, while domestic tourism slipped. Hotel nights by residents in Spain have fallen compared with last year, indicating that Spanish travellers are increasingly looking abroad.
A report from Caixabank Research adds to this picture, noting that trips by Spaniards within Spain dropped by 5.8% year on year and overnight stays fell by 3.9%, even dipping below pre-pandemic levels. In contrast, travel abroad by Spanish residents expanded, with trips up 4.7% and spending increasing by 8.5%.
Price is at the heart of this shift. According to the INE’s tourism price index, tourist prices in Spain are now 49% higher than in 2021, and the average daily hotel rate reached €127.70 per night at the end of 2025 - up 5% on the previous year and nearly 50% above the rate seen in 2019. Experts point to rising costs as a key factor influencing travel plans, scoring price as the top obstacle facing the sector.
Marcos Franco, founding partner of Observatur, acknowledged that travellers also want “more complete, different and personalised experiences”, but he stresses that cost remains the dominant factor for many. His data shows strong growth in tourism to European capitals and cruises as travellers seek varied experiences outside traditional sun-and-beach packages.
Despite these changes, Spain saw 96.8 million international visitors in 2025, up slightly on 2024, with British tourists once again making up a large share of arrivals. However, the average holiday duration has dropped to 7.1 days, one day less than the previous year, even as daily spending per visitor rose to €195.
The picture in Madrid illustrates these trends clearly: long-haul tourists tend to stay longer and spend more, pushing average spending in the capital to €305 per day.
For now, high prices and evolving travel preferences appear to be reshaping Spain’s tourism landscape even as overall figures remain strong.
You might also be interested in: British holidaymakers start looking beyond the Canaries
Image: Zeynep Merve Kılıç Çakır/Pexels
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