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Date Published: 09/06/2026

Murcia emerges as one of Spain's top performers for tourist spending in early 2026

New research shows the region recorded the second highest growth in visitor spending in Spain in early 2026

Murcia emerges as one of Spain's top performers for tourist spending in early 2026 Tourist spending in the Region of Murcia grew faster than almost anywhere else in Spain in the first four months of 2026. According to a new report by BBVA Research, which tracks real-time spending patterns using card transaction data, Murcia ranked second in the whole country for growth in tourist spending, beaten only by Castilla-La Mancha.

That is a notable result, particularly given the broader national picture. Across Spain as a whole, total tourist spending, covering both Spanish and foreign visitors, grew by 4.7% year-on-year, but that actually represented a slowdown of 1.8 percentage points compared to the previous period. The drag came largely from reduced activity in traditionally strong destinations, including the Canary Islands, Madrid and the Basque Country.

Murcia, along with Castilla-La Mancha and Extremadura, stood out as one of the strongest performers for spending by Spanish tourists travelling outside their home province, with average growth of around 10% in recent months. Encouragingly, that rise was driven by more people actually visiting, rather than each visitor spending more. Average spend per traveller per month dipped slightly, in line with what most other regions also experienced.

The positive picture extends across the wider southeast. Andalucía also recorded double-digit growth in international arrivals, welcoming over 1.4 million international passengers in April alone, with UK visitors leading the way, pointing to growing appetite from European travellers for this part of Spain.

The Easter period, which ran from March 28 to April 6, also delivered positive results for Murcia, with Spanish tourists the main driver during that window. The Canary Islands and other island destinations were temporarily held back by a combination of weather conditions and the wider geopolitical climate.

International visitors contributed positively throughout the four-month period too, with foreign spending maintaining steady year-on-year growth, even if the biggest gains in overseas tourism were recorded further north and in Castilla-La Mancha.

Looking ahead, the Costa Blanca is actively courting a new wave of high-spending Canadian tourists, particularly golfers and wellness travellers, as geopolitical tensions push Canadians to look beyond the United States for their holidays, a shift that could bring further benefits to the wider region.

For a region that does not always grab the tourism headlines, the numbers tell a quietly encouraging story.

Image: Audrius Strikaitis/Pexels

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Al Kazar Commercial Centre, Condado de Alhama, Alhama de Murcia, MURCIA, 30848

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TAQUILLA TICKETS

Taquilla Tickets is a local family-run business in the Region of Murcia that specialises in organising day trips, mini breaks, things to do, adventures, organised sporting activities for groups and more.

They sell tickets for concerts taking place in the Region of Murcia and other places in Spain, and they organise coach trips to visit local fiestas and events of interest around the Costa Cálida and Costa Blanca. You can also hop on their organised coach trip mini-breaks to visit beautiful Spanish cities like Barcelona, Toledo, Salamanca, Granada and loads more. With their popular ‘Cinco cities’ tours, you can go away for a slightly longer time and visit five different Spanish cities in one trip!

Taquilla Tickets day trips, concerts, activities, adventures and more in Murcia

Run by husband and wife team Sally and Nigel for over 6 years and now with new team member Julie, Taquilla Tickets is your one-stop shop for tickets for fun events and things happening in Spain all year round. And if you can’t see what you’re looking for, just contact them and they’ll probably be able to help you make your adventures come true.

The main office is based on the Condado de Alhama resort, at the Al Kasar shopping centre next to Condado Invest, where you will find Sally and Julie there to help you. They also have an office on Camposol, next to Cats Bar on Sector A.