A record number of tourists visited Andalucia during the first half of 2026, new figures have revealed.
According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), they also spent a record amount, pumping €9.78billion in the regional economy in just six months, representing a year-on-year jump of 6.8%.
Between January and June, the region welcomed 7,333,876 international tourists, up 7.9% on the same period last year.
Andalucia remained the country’s third most-visited region by foreign tourists, behind only Cataluña (9.6 million visitors) and the Canary Islands (7.8 million).
While spending growth in Andalucia broadly matched the national average, the region significantly outperformed Spain as a whole in attracting visitors.
The figures show that international arrivals across Spain rose by 4.6%, compared with 7.9% in Andalucia.
The numbers also reveal changing travel habits. Although overall spending hit a record high, the average spend per visitor slipped by 1% to €1,334, while the average stay fell by 6.6% to around seven days.
However, visitors spent more each day, with daily expenditure rising 6% to €187.
June continued the record-breaking trend
The positive momentum continued in June, when Andalucía welcomed 1.53million international tourists, an increase of 7.4% compared with June 2025.
Those visitors spent €1.98billion during the month, up 3.5% year-on-year.
The region accounted for 15.7% of all international arrivals to Spain during June, once again growing much faster than the national average.
Average spending per tourist during the month fell slightly to €1,294, but daily spending increased to €203, while the average holiday length dropped to around six days.
British tourists remain the biggest market
The UK remained Spain’s largest overseas tourism market during the first half of 2026.
British visitors accounted for 17% of all international tourism spending nationwide and more than 9.9 million arrivals, a 4.3% increase compared with a year earlier.
In June alone, British tourists represented 20.6% of all foreign tourism spending in Spain, with expenditure rising 7.1% year-on-year.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
