Spain’s off-season tourism reaches 47% as demand shifts to longer, higher-value stays

Nearly half of Spain’s tourism activity now takes place outside the peak season, with longer stays, emerging source markets, and growing demand for family and wellness travel creating new opportunities for travel businesses.

According to a new report from The Data Appeal Company, part of Almaviva Group, 47% of tourism activity occurs during the shoulder and low seasons. The study, The International Traveller that Transforms Spain, highlights Spain’s relative resilience to seasonality, with 52.8% of activity concentrated between May and September, compared with 58.7% in Italy and 72.7% in Greece.

Argentina, Poland, and Brazil are emerging as important markets, with demand during the shoulder and low seasons rising by 27.8%, 18.6% and 13.1%, respectively, over three years.

Culture remains the leading travel motivator, but family tourism and active wellbeing experiences are gaining ground, particularly in the Canary Islands and inland destinations.

The findings also point to opportunities in higher-value travel. Mid-to-high and high-end accommodation attracts four in 10 visitors during the low season, rising to 58.2% in the Canary Islands. The archipelago records the longest average stays at 6.6 nights, while Mediterranean coastal destinations average 3.7 nights.

“Advancing the reduction of seasonality in Spanish destinations remains a strategic long-term priority. The opportunities it unlocks for destinations are substantial, and we are moving forward with determination,” said Miguel Sanz, Director of Turespaña.

As Spain diversifies beyond traditional peak-season tourism, understanding when, where and why people travel will be increasingly important to serving customers and capturing growth.