Portugal, Spain and Greece are showing just how much money travellers are pouring into Europe in 2026. Tourist spending is climbing across all three destinations, with Spain recording €63.84 billion in international visitor expenditure during the first half of the year, Portugal reaching €12.87 billion, and Greece posting the fastest growth of the trio with receipts up 25.8 per cent in the first five months.
The numbers tell a rather juicy tourism story: visitors are not simply arriving. They are spending on accommodation, restaurants, transport, shopping and experiences, creating a substantial economic flow through Europe’s tourism markets.
Spain Leads Europe’s Spending Race
Spain is clearly the heavyweight in this comparison.
International tourists spent €63.836 billion in Spain during January–June 2026, representing a 7 per cent increase compared with the same period in 2025. International arrivals also rose 4.6 per cent to almost 46.6 million visitors.
June alone generated €13.579 billion in tourist expenditure, up 4 per cent year on year. Average spending per tourist reached €1,393, while average daily expenditure climbed 0.7 per cent to €211.
That means Spain is benefiting from both scale and spending power.
From Barcelona and Madrid to the Balearic and Canary Islands, Spain continues to attract huge volumes of international visitors while maintaining strong visitor expenditure.
Portugal Turns More Visitors Into Bigger Tourism Receipts
Portugal is following a similarly positive path, although on a smaller financial scale.
Tourist expenditure reached €12.87 billion during the first six months of 2026, up approximately 4.2 per cent from €12.35 billion during the same period of 2025.
June generated approximately €2.54 billion, compared with €2.47 billion in June 2025.
The country’s tourism performance is being supported by strong demand across destinations including Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, where international visitors continue to spend across accommodation, dining, transport and leisure.
Portugal’s tourism receipts also reached a record €29.13 billion in 2025, while its travel and tourism surplus climbed to €22 billion — the highest nominal figure in the country’s statistical series dating back to 1948.
So, Portugal is not merely enjoying another busy tourism season. The sector is becoming an increasingly important source of external revenue.
Greece Has the Fastest Growth Story
And then Greece enters the conversation with a rather impressive number.
Travel receipts reached €5.3197 billion between January and May 2026, an increase of 25.8 per cent compared with the same period in 2025.
International traveller flows increased even faster than expected, climbing 20.9 per cent to approximately 8.57 million visitors.
What makes the performance particularly interesting is that spending grew faster than arrivals. Average expenditure per trip increased 4.5 per cent, according to the Bank of Greece.
That suggests Greece is benefiting from both a larger visitor base and stronger spending per traveller.
The Numbers Reveal a Bigger European Trend
Put these three markets together and the tourism picture becomes clearer.
Spain is dominating through enormous scale. Portugal is steadily increasing tourism receipts and maintaining strong international demand. Greece is delivering the fastest revenue growth among the three.
The destinations also represent different tourism models.
Spain combines major cities, beaches, islands, food and cultural attractions. Portugal attracts visitors through historic cities, coastal destinations, wine tourism and increasingly diversified experiences. Greece continues to benefit from its islands, ancient heritage, Mediterranean coastline and expanding tourism season.
Yet all three share one important advantage: visitors have plenty of reasons to spend beyond their hotel rooms.
Hotels, Restaurants and Experiences Capture the Money
Tourist expenditure does not stop when visitors check into accommodation.
Spending flows through restaurants, cafés, museums, attractions, local transport, shopping, tours and entertainment. That makes tourism receipts an important indicator for the wider destination economy.
Spain’s June data shows the scale of this spending, with international visitors spending €13.58 billion in a single month.
In Portugal, June receipts reached approximately €2.54 billion, while Greece recorded €2.43 billion in travel receipts during May alone.
The tourism economy is therefore operating across an enormous network of businesses.
Why This Matters for Travellers
For visitors, strong tourism spending can translate into more investment in destinations, accommodation, attractions and transport infrastructure.
It can also mean that popular cities and resort regions become busier during peak periods, making advance accommodation planning increasingly important.
Travellers looking for better value may therefore find opportunities by exploring secondary cities, travelling outside peak periods or combining major destinations with smaller regional locations.
Key Stats
- €63.836 billion: International tourist expenditure in Spain during January–June 2026.
- 7 per cent: Growth in Spain’s international tourist spending year on year.
- €12.87 billion: Portugal’s tourism receipts during the first half of 2026.
- 4.2 per cent: Year-on-year growth in Portugal’s first-half tourism revenue.
- €5.32 billion: Greece’s travel receipts during January–May 2026.
- 25.8 per cent: Growth in Greek tourism receipts during the first five months.
- 8.57 million: International visitors to Greece during January–May 2026.
Travel Guide: Where the Spending Boom Is Visible
In Spain, travellers can combine Madrid or Barcelona with coastal and island destinations.
Portugal offers Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve alongside wine regions and smaller historic towns.
Greece provides Athens, the mainland and its famous islands, while visitors can increasingly explore less crowded destinations beyond the best-known resort names.
Across all three countries, travelling outside peak periods can offer a different pace while allowing visitors to explore beyond the busiest tourism centres.
FAQ
1. Which country recorded the highest tourist spending?
Spain, with €63.836 billion in international tourist expenditure during the first six months of 2026.
2. Which country recorded the fastest growth in tourism receipts?
Greece, where travel receipts increased 25.8 per cent during January–May 2026.
3. How much did tourists spend in Portugal?
Tourist expenditure reached approximately €12.87 billion during the first half of 2026.
Timeline and Events
January–May 2026 — Greece recorded €5.32 billion in travel receipts, up 25.8 per cent year on year.
January–June 2026 — Spain recorded €63.836 billion in international tourist expenditure, up 7 per cent.
January–June 2026 — Portugal recorded €12.87 billion in tourism receipts, up approximately 4.2 per cent.
August 2026 — New first-half tourism figures highlight continued international spending momentum across the three European markets.
Conclusion
Portugal, Spain and Greece are turning international visitor spending into one of Europe’s most powerful tourism growth stories of 2026. Spain dominates through sheer expenditure, Portugal continues to build steadily on its record tourism economy, while Greece is producing the strongest percentage growth.
For Europe, the message is unmistakable: travellers are still spending heavily on holidays, and the destinations capable of combining attractions, accommodation, food, culture and experiences are capturing an increasingly valuable share of that tourism goldmine.
