Spain is reporting renewed momentum in its highest-spending tourism segment, with new data from Turespaña showing that premium visitors account for less than 2% of international arrivals but spend more than four times the daily average. These travelers typically come from the United States, Japan and Australia, with Mexico and Colombia gaining weight in recent years, and they favor Madrid and Catalunya during short stays driven by business and cultural motivations.
The analysis, based on microdata from the Tourist Expenditure Survey published monthly by the National Statistics Institute, defines premium tourists as those who spend more than three times the international average per day. According to the findings, their average stay is less than half that of other visitors, and they travel mainly outside Spain’s traditional high season, with stronger arrivals from March to June and September to December.
Changing habits and post-pandemic trends
Premium tourists maintain a distinct profile: men aged 25–65 with high incomes and executive-level roles. Their motivations diverge sharply from the broader market, which continues to prioritize sun-and-beach holidays. Business travel and culture dominate this group’s interests, with notable post-pandemic increases in gastronomy, wine-related activities and, to a lesser extent, nature-focused experiences.
City tourism has also expanded within this segment during 2023–2024. Turespaña notes that the overall attractiveness of Spain’s urban destinations continues to rise, contributing to the segment’s stable performance despite representing a small share of total visitors. While they stay for shorter periods, their level of expenditure has become a key strategic factor for tourism planning, especially in the months outside the peak summer season.
Accommodation, packages and return patterns
Hotel use is almost universal among premium travelers. The analysis shows that 92% stayed in hotels, surpassing the pre-pandemic proportion of 88% and exceeding the rest of the market by 31 percentage points. Package travel is also more common: 35% used a package compared with 18% of other international tourists.
Return visits are frequent but less common than among the general market. About 63% of premium travelers reported having visited Spain before, compared with 79% of all international visitors. However, only 28% had visited 11 or more times, far below the 47% recorded among the rest of the tourist population. These differences suggest that while premium travelers are loyal, they are less habitual and may be more responsive to evolving cultural and business offerings.
Turespaña also distinguishes premium tourists from “shopper” tourists, who triple the average spending specifically on retail categories such as clothing, jewelry, crafts and souvenirs. Shopper tourism surpassed 2019 levels in 2024 by 1.8%, with overall international arrivals growing 12.8% in the same period. Nominal retail spending rose 31% since 2019, aligning with broader increases in destination spending across Spain.
The United States remained the leading market for high-spending retail tourists, followed by Morocco, Mexico and the United Kingdom. Colombia and China also strengthened their positions in 2024, with China’s recovery progressing more gradually than other major long-haul markets. These trends further highlight the diversification of Spain’s high-value tourism base and its growing alignment with cultural, gastronomic and urban-focused travel patterns.
AloJapan.com