# Spain fills May like never before, but average spend stalls

Canonical-URL: https://notitur.com/en/digest/may-tourists-spain-average-spend-flat
Text-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/may-tourists-spain-average-spend-flat.txt
Markdown-Version: https://notitur.com/en/digest/may-tourists-spain-average-spend-flat.md
Language: en
Published: 2026-07-03T15:46:24.765Z
Modified: 2026-07-03T15:46:24.765Z
Author: Joan Sanz
Topics: Revenue & Distribution
Summary: May tops 10.2 million tourists, a record that beats the pre-COVID August peak. Yet average spend per traveler is flat. Are we filling the country with low-value tourism?

## Article

Spain just posted a **historic May**: **10.26 million foreign tourists**, **9.5% more** than last year. To put it in perspective, that number already beats the pre-COVID **August demand peak**. The news, reported by [Hosteltur](https://www.hosteltur.com/177299_espana-ya-recibe-mas-turistas-en-mayo-que-en-agosto-precovid-pero-el-gasto-medio-se-estanca.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=espana-ya-recibe-mas-turistas-en-mayo-que-en-agosto-precovid-pero-el-gasto-medio-se-estanca), sounds optimistic... until we look at average spend.

Because here comes the cold shower: **average spend per tourist is stalling**. Record volume, yes, but visitor value is not growing at the same pace. This worries me as an industry professional. If we fill the streets with tourists who spend the same (or less) than before the pandemic, we are generating congestion without improving profitability for hotels, restaurants and shops.

What does this mean for the industry?

- **Hotels and airlines**: occupancy rises, but **RevPAR** and **revenue per passenger** may suffer if the only game is price competition.
- **Destinations**: risk of overcrowding with low economic return.
- **Revenue managers**: time to review yield strategies and hunt for higher-value segments, not just fill rooms.

Demand is there, but the **tourist mix** is shifting. If we don't get them to spend more, the May record will be a bittersweet victory.

## Sources

- Hosteltur: https://www.hosteltur.com/177299_espana-ya-recibe-mas-turistas-en-mayo-que-en-agosto-precovid-pero-el-gasto-medio-se-estanca.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=espana-ya-recibe-mas-turistas-en-mayo-que-en-agosto-precovid-pero-el-gasto-medio-se-estanca

## Citation

Spain fills May like never before, but average spend stalls. Notitur. 2026-07-03. https://notitur.com/en/digest/may-tourists-spain-average-spend-flat