2 July 2025

Tourist Movements at Borders (FRONTUR)

May 2025. Provisional data

Main results

  • Spain received 9.4 million international tourists in May, 1.5% more than in the same month in 2024.
  • In the first five months of 2025, the number of tourists increased by 5.5%.

In May, Spain received 9.4 million international tourists, 1.5% more than in the same month in 2024.

In the first five months of 2025 the number of tourists visiting Spain increased by 5.5% and exceeded 35.0 million.

International tourists arrivals by months

Annual variation. Percentage

The United Kingdom was the main country of residence, with almost 2.1 million tourists and an increase of 7.3% compared to May 2024. There were 1.2 million arrivals from France (6.7% less) and 1.2 million from Germany (6.1% less).

International tourists arrivals (*) by country of residence. May 2025

(*) Does not include transit travellers or same-day visitors (excursionists).
(**) Includes the estimate for Russia.

The main countries of origin during the first five months were the United Kingdom (with almost 6.8 million tourists and an increase of 6.9%), France (almost 4.6 million and an increase of 3.9%) and Germany (with more than 4.5 million, 1.8% more).

Main type of accommodation and other characteristics of the trips

The number of tourists who chose market accommodation as their main type of accommodation increased by 0.4% in annual terms. Within this type, hotel accommodation decreased by 1.7% while rented accommodation increased by 14.8%, while non-market accommodation increased by 9.0%.

International tourist arrivals by type of accommodation. May 2025

A stay of four to seven nights was the main length among tourists, with more than 4.7 million tourists and an annual decrease of 0.4%. The number of visitors increased by 9.2% among non-overnight visitors (excursionists) and by 6.0% among tourists with a longer duration (more than 15 nights).

Nearly 7.0 million tourists travelled without a tourist package in May, an increase of 0.8%. Over 2.4 million travelled with a package tour, 3.8% more.

Autonomous communities of main destination

Illes Balears was the top destination for tourists in May, with 21.2% of the total. It was followed by Cataluña (20.5%) and Andalucía (15.5%).

The Illes Balears saw 0.2% fewer tourists than in May 2024, and Cataluña saw 5.6% fewer. Andalucía saw 8.1% more visitors.

International tourist arrivals by main Autonomous Community of destination. Monthly and cumulative data. May 2025

In the cumulative figure for the first five months of 2025, the Autonomous Communities that received the most tourists were Cataluña (7.3 million: an increase of 2.2% as compared with the same period in 2024), Canarias (6.8 million: an increase of 4.1%) and Andalucía (5.4 million: 9.6% more).

Data revisions and updates

The data published today are provisional and will be revised in March next year. All the results of this operation are available at INEbase.

Methodological note

The main objective of the Tourist Movement on Borders Survey (FRONTUR) is to estimate the number of non-residents visiting Spain on a monthly basis, as well as to know the main characteristics of the trips made by these visitors. The international definitions and recommendations of the UNWTO and EUROSTAT in this field are followed when preparing the FRONTUR.

Type of operation:
continuous monthly statistics.
Population scope:
this refers to non-residents in Spain who enter our country, whether or not they have stayed overnight, as well as those who pass through our country in transit.
Geographical scope:
the entire national territory. The sample is collected at the main access points for non-resident travellers, by road, airport, port and rail.
Reference period of the results:
the month.
Sample size:
the annual theoretical sample size of FRONTUR exceeds 450,000 surveys, which are distributed throughout the year, taking into account the seasonality of passenger flows.
Sampling type:
strata have been defined for each form of entry that group together border points, airports, ports and railway lines. In determining the road and airport sample, the day of the week in which the survey has been carried out is also identified, differentiating between working days, weekends and holidays. In airports, 21 air relations are defined (Spanish airport of origin-country of destination airport).
Collection method:
information is collected by direct interview when the traveller leaves Spain, using a multilingual electronic questionnaire.

For more information, you can access the methodology and the standardised methodological report.

INE statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Good Practice for European Statistics. More information on Quality at INE and the Code of Best Practices.

For further information see Inicio INEbase Official INE account on @es_ine
All press releases at:
www.ine.es/en/prensa/prensa_en.htm
Press office:
(+34) 91 583 93 63 / 94 08gprensa@ine.es
Information area:
(+34) 91 583 91 00www.ine.es/infoine/?L=1