From the rooftop terrace of a hotel in Benidorm, Fede Fuster looks out across the high-rise buildings and the town's famous sweeping beach. His family built one of the first hotels here in the 1950s, and today, as president of the local tourism association, he is witnessing a record-breaking surge in foreign visitors. Spain received 9.1 million international visitors in April – the most ever for that month, and 5.2% more than April 2025. That’s an extra 450,000 people.
The driving force, according to industry experts, is the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. The crisis has made Middle Eastern destinations such as Dubai and eastern Mediterranean countries like Turkey and Cyprus less attractive, pushing tourists towards Spain. Dubai International Airport saw its passenger numbers drop by 66% in March as flights and bookings were significantly reduced.
“Spain welcomed a record 9.1 million international visitors in April as Middle East conflict diverted tourists from rival destinations.”
“In these moments of crisis, of strikes or wars, the bookings always increase,” says Fuster, recalling a similar phenomenon during the Arab Spring in 2011 – though he insists he would rather compete without this advantage. Francisco Femenia-Serra, a lecturer in geography at Madrid’s Complutense University, explains: “Any time that you have a crisis in the Mediterranean or the Middle East, Spain is seen as a secure place to go.” He adds that budget-conscious travellers who would normally choose Turkey or Egypt “might end up in Spain”.
The recovery since the Covid pandemic has been remarkable. Foreign arrivals totalled 97 million in 2025, making Spain the world’s second-biggest tourist destination, just behind France. Benidorm, a prime draw, has a permanent population of 77,000 but swells to around five times that number at the height of summer. “With all its virtues and its defects, this is a place we feel proud of,” says Fuster. “It’s a place of opportunities.”
Tourism directly contributes 13% of Spain’s GDP and has been a crucial component of the country’s growth, which has outstripped many European peers. Industry experts had originally expected 2026 to see modest growth, but the geopolitical shift has changed the outlook. “I think this is going to be a great year,” Fuster says. “I’m optimistic – we’re talking about reaching 100 million tourists in Spain. If we keep growing like this, we’re going to be number one very soon.”