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Spain Sets Tourism Records as Argentina’s Travel Deficit Deepens

New INE and INDEC releases show a split picture, with record receipts in Spain versus mounting dollar outflows from Argentina.

Overview

  • Spain welcomed about 76.5 million international visitors in January–September, with tourist spending reaching a record €105.828 billion, according to INE.
  • September set monthly records in Spain with nearly 9.7 million arrivals (+0.8% year-on-year) and €13.364 billion in spending (+6%), led by the UK as top market and the Balearic Islands as the main destination.
  • Catalonia’s foreign arrivals fell 1.4% in September, marking a third straight monthly decline and leaving year-to-date visits essentially flat at 15.81 million, per INE.
  • INDEC reported that in Argentina 706,400 residents traveled abroad in September (+21.8% year-on-year) while 374,800 non-resident tourists arrived (−18.9%), yielding a sector deficit of US$389.5 million for the month.
  • Airport flows in Argentina showed further imbalance in Q3, with 514,200 non-resident arrivals (−12.4%) versus 1,027,600 resident departures (+29.3%), and an economist estimated the 2025 tourism deficit could reach US$10–12 billion with pressure on foreign-currency reserves.