Turistas en la plaza Mayor de Madrid. Foto de archivo
Madrid continues to demonstrate its strength as an international tourist destination in February, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). Last month, 379,430 international travelers stayed in the capital, an increase of 0.7% compared to a year ago, accounting for 51.3% of the total of 739,938 visitors, a 3.1% decrease from the same month last year. Over the past twelve months, there has been a 4.5% increase in travelers compared to the previous year, with international tourists increasing by 7.8%, compared to 0.7% for domestic tourists.
Regarding overnight stays, the capital reached 1,485,831 stays, a 1.8% decrease compared to February 2024. Of these, 878,232 were from international visitors, representing a 1.6% increase and accounting for 59.1% of the total.
The delegate councilor for Tourism, Almudena Maíllo, pointed out that «these data confirm that Madrid is a very attractive destination for international travelers,» while emphasizing that «the capital continues to focus on destigmatization with a strategy based on long-haul tourism and diversification of international source markets, attracting new tourists in months like January, February, or March.»
Boosting international tourism
Among the international markets that saw the most growth in February, Ibero-American and European markets stood out. Among the former, Argentina grew by 28% and Brazil by 17.6%. In Europe, the Netherlands had a significant increase of 38.8%. Japan was the most prominent market among Asian countries, with a growth of 17.2%.
The United States remains the top international source market with 46,530 travelers (a decrease of 2.4% compared to the same month in 2024), followed by Italy with 33,120 (+8.8%), the United Kingdom with 23,568 (+10.9%), France with 25,177 (-1.5%), and Germany with 16,831 (+4.5%).
In terms of overnight stays, the United States remains the top international source market with 113,217 stays in city hotels (a decrease of 2.9%), followed by Italy with 79,089 (+6.7%), France with 57,135 (+0.3%), and the United Kingdom with 52,628 (+9%).
The hotel sector, a job creator
In February, Madrid had 843 open hotel establishments, 90 fewer than in the same month of 2024, while the available rooms remained stable at a total of 92,144. The occupancy rate per room was 57% and per room, 69.6%.
Employment in the sector continues to rise, with 14,098 people working in city hotels, an 8.4% increase compared to February of the previous year. «Tourism continues to demonstrate its ability to create jobs and boost the economy of Madrid,» emphasized Maíllo. /
