Madrid Leads Spanish Christmas Tourist Boom
Its a bumber Christmas for the tourism sector in Madrid and other key city destinations in Spain with international flights up nearly 10% compared to 2023.
Key airports like Madrid-Barajas and Barcelona-El Prat are leading the surge, with hotspots like Alicante, Málaga, Gran Canaria, and Fuerteventura also seeing increased capacity. By destination, beyond the year-on-year increases in air capacity for the airports Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (+5.2%) and Barcelona-El Prat (+6.9%), there is a significant increase in air seats to the airports of Alicante-Elche (+21%) and Málaga (+12.9%), and to other sun and beach destinations such as Gran Canaria (+13.7%) and Fuerteventura (+14.7%).
Spain is securing its status as Europe’s go-to destination, capturing 12.8% of holiday travel interest this year—a 0.6% rise from 2023. Demand is rising across core markets like the UK, Germany, France, and Italy. Additionally, countries including the United States, Mexico, Brazil, and Scandinavia are contributing to the growth.
Travellers are staying longer, with the average trip extending to 8.3 days—a 2% increase from last year. This trend is driving higher revenues across hospitality, transport, and related sectors, significantly boosting Spain’s holiday economy.
Carlos Cendra, Marketing Director at industry analysts Mabrian, said that Spain’s rise reflects its status as a year-round hotspot. Data shows that Spain’s appeal is sustained by expanded flight networks and increased travel interest, reinforcing its dominance in European tourism. “The data shows that Spain is consolidating its position as a year-round tourist destination, with growing demand not only among its traditional European source markets but also among other long-distance markets such as Mexico, Brazil and the United States,” explains Cendra.
As Europe’s most popular Christmas destinations Tenerife and Alicante are leading the rankings. Málaga ranks fifth, cementing Spain’s dominance in the top spots during the holiday season.
Other notable Spanish entries include Gran Canaria, which ranks seventh, and Fuerteventura, which also appears in the top ten.
These destinations are particularly favoured by travellers from Germany, the UK, and the Nordic countries, thanks to their mild winter temperatures and vibrant holiday atmospheres.
