Spain reaffirms its strong appeal in the Italian outbound travel market
Spain maintains a clear lead as the top European destination for Italian travellers, consolidating its lead over France and Greece and confirming its strong appeal, according to the findings of an Ipsos study highlighted by Turespaña. Furthermore, the Italian market for our country is showing a positive trend, driven by increased air links, growth in tourist spending and the destination’s solid positioning in terms of perception, travel intentions and satisfaction.
This momentum is taking place against a macroeconomic backdrop of moderate growth and a degree of consumer caution, suggesting that demand remains buoyant, albeit more price-sensitive and influenced by international uncertainty. In this scenario, and provided there are no significant disruptions to the energy supply that affect connectivity, Spain could maintain its position as a destination perceived as safe within the European context.
From a demand-side perspective, the search for safe destinations, early planning and the growing importance of price are shaping the decisions of Italian travellers. Whilst there are signs of a certain recovery in international travel, this trend could be affected by the recent geopolitical uncertainty which, according to Confcommercio (Italy’s leading employers’ organisation representing businesses in the retail, tourism and services sectors), is leading to greater caution without dampening the desire to travel. In this context, a balance is maintained between overseas travel and short breaks, with decisions that are more flexible and responsive to the local context.
Growth in spending
According to data from Egatur (INE), spending by Italian visitors in Spain showed significant growth in the period March 2025–February 2026 compared with the same period the previous year, with an increase of 12%. This trend reflects a robust recovery in demand and increased momentum in the Italian market towards our country. The rise in spending also points to an increase in both the volume of travel and the level of spending per tourist, consolidating Spain’s position as a top destination for this market.
According to YouGov data for the period 13 January–12 April 2026, compared with the same period in 2025, Spain remained the leader in terms of consideration, travel intent and satisfaction compared with its main competitors. In terms of travellers’ preferred destinations for their next trip, Spain came top, with around 31% of mentions. Regarding travel intentions – the likelihood of a visit in the short term – 10.8% of respondents cited it as their preferred destination. Furthermore, among those who have already visited Spain, 70.4% said they were satisfied with their experience, once again outperforming their competitors.
Growth in capacity
The scheduled seat capacity for Spain between 1 April and 30 September 2026 is 9.1% higher than that in summer 2025. Planned capacity is also rising for the main competitors, notably Egypt (+17.2%), Greece (+8.1%) and Turkey (+4.2%), whilst France remains virtually stable (+0.5%) and Portugal has seen a slight decline (-1.5%). Meanwhile, air connectivity continues to grow. During the spring-summer 2026 season, 18 new routes between Italy and Spain will be launched. Furthermore, this summer, 29 Italian airports are connected to 22 Spanish airports.