Britons lead tourism surge as Balearic Islands experience record growth

Driving much of this surge are tourists from the United Kingdom, who remain Spain’s largest source market. Nearly 2 million Britons flew to Spain in April alone, marking an 8.4% increase and accounting for 21.1% of all international arrivals. These visitors have been key to boosting demand not only in the Balearics but also in the Canary Islands (26.1%), Andalusia (16.6%), and the Valencian Community (16.4%).

Germany also contributed significantly, with 1.4 million passengers arriving in Spain — over a third (36.7%) choosing the Balearic Islands as their destination. France and the Netherlands followed, showing steady growth and favouring the Balearics, Catalonia, and the Valencian Community.

Spain welcomed a total of 9.7 million international air passengers in April, representing a 9.5% increase compared to the same month last year, according to data published by Turespaña. The Easter holiday period helped fuel this rise, benefiting both established and emerging tourism markets.

For the first four months of 2025, international arrivals hit 30.8 million — up 7.4% on the same period in 2024.

By region, Madrid saw the highest number of arrivals (22.1%), but the Balearic Islands led the way in growth. Together with Catalonia, the Canary Islands, Andalusia, and the Valencian Community, these six regions accounted for 96.9% of all inbound travellers.

At the airport level, Madrid-Barajas remained Spain’s busiest hub with 2.1 million passengers (+5.4%), followed by Barcelona-El Prat with 1.8 million (+8.2%). The largest year-on-year increase in arrivals was recorded at Gran Canaria Airport, with a 17.4% rise.