Image: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo, Madrid
Madrid’s international tourism spending passed €10 billion in the first half of 2026, according to figures published by the city council and the Spanish National Statistics Institute. The capital recorded €10.007 billion in expenditure from international visitors between January and June, an 11.4% increase on the same period in 2025, while total arrivals reached 5,660,098 and overnight stays climbed to 11,961,895.
The figures were released in a press note from the Ayuntamiento de Madrid on 3 August 2026 and presented by Almudena Maíllo, the council’s delegate for Tourism. Maíllo described the milestone as evidence of Madrid’s strong appeal in both the domestic and international markets, and linked visitor spending to economic activity across the city and job creation in the hospitality sector.
International tourism accounted for the majority of Madrid’s visitation during the period. The city said overseas travelers made up 59% of all visitors in the first six months of the year and 66% of overnight stays. International arrivals reached 3,340,259, up 6.4% on the previous year, while international overnight stays rose 4.9% to 7,948,107. Average stays were 2.11 nights overall, rising to 2.38 nights for international visitors.
June added a further boost to the semester’s totals. International visitors spent €1,860.65 million in the city that month alone, up 7.3% from June 2025. Madrid’s overnight stays also increased by 3% over the semester, ahead of the 1.8% rise recorded for Spain as a whole, according to the city’s summary of the INE data.
The United States remained Madrid’s leading international source market, with 567,158 visitors and 1,367,188 overnight stays in the period. Italy followed with 228,576 visitors, while the United Kingdom accounted for 180,463. The strongest percentage growth came from Brazil, which rose 30% in visitors to 93,959 and 24% in overnight stays to 244,541. Portugal also showed notable growth, with 115,681 visitors and 244,260 overnight stays.
The city’s hotel sector expanded alongside demand. Madrid ended the semester with 920 hotel establishments, up 9.6% year on year, along with 48,584 rooms and 96,050 beds. Employment in the sector reached 15,249 workers, an increase of 5.4% over the same period in 2025, according to the municipal figures.
