Exceltur has projected that the tourist sector’s GDP will grow by four percent in the year twenty twenty-five, a figure that surpasses the overall forecast for the Spanish economy, which stands at two point seven percent. This optimistic projection, however, is subject to the effects of the new geopolitical context created by the current United States administration. Executive Vice President Oscar Perelli has stated that these estimates depend heavily on the evolution of the global economy and possible new tariffs.

Survey results from Exceltur, conducted with two thousand industry participants just before announcements of new tariffs, indicated that around forty nine point four percent believe that these global policy changes could negatively impact long-distance travel to Europe. Conversely, thirty eight point four percent expect these changes to bolster domestic intra-European travel. Perelli noted that ninety percent of the economic impact on Spain’s tourist sector relies on European travellers, marking it as a significant factor for demand.

The early months of this year have witnessed sustained growth in foreign demand for the tourism sector. Both overnight stays and income from tourism saw positive developments, with pernoctaciones increasing by two point one percent and tourism income rising by seven point two percent, primarily driven by key European markets. Spanish tourists also exhibited a moderate increase in spending of five point six percent while travel abroad surged with a sixteen point six percent rise in payments.

Looking ahead to the second quarter and the upcoming Easter holidays, expectations remain positive, with anticipated growth of five point three percent in sales and five point six percent in business results compared to the previous year. Notably, growth projections are particularly strong for passenger transport companies and vehicle rentals, with increases of seven point eight percent and eight point five percent respectively, while hotels expect moderate positive growth as well.