International tourist spending in Europe is expected to grow by 11% this year to 838 billion US dollars, with France and Spain also set to welcome record numbers of tourists, according to a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTCC) report, according to Reuters.
The rosy forecast is partly influenced by the fact that some tourists will avoid the US, with the WTTC predicting that foreign tourist spending in the US will fall by around 7% this year.
“Out of 184 countries, the US is the only country that has seen an absolute decline in international tourist spending,” said Julia Simpson, the council’s executive director.
Simpson told a press briefing that Canadians and Mexicans living next door could refuse to travel to the US in the face of President Donald Trump’s trade and migration policies or unfavourable exchange rates, “which means more people will come to Europe”.
The WTTC, which represents the private sector of the tourism industry, estimates that tourists will spend 6% or 113.2 billion euros more in Spain this year than in 2024, and that between 98 and 100 million visitors will visit Spain this year, surpassing last year’s record of 94 million.
“Americans will continue to travel abroad… and they will be very welcomed in Spain,” said Simpson.
According to WTTC, France will continue to receive more tourists than Spain, while the US remains the world’s largest travel and tourism market.
However, international visitor spending in the country is forecast to be less than 169 billion US dollars this year, well below the 181 billion US dollars in 2024 and 22% below the previous high in 2019.
International tourist spending in Europe expected to grow by 11% this year
