Europe's Biggest Holiday Movement
When it comes to who travels the most and where, the answer for Britain has been the same for decades: Spain. In 2019, according to the Spanish national statistics agency INE, around 18.1 million Britons visited Spain. That is more than from any other nation, and it is a number worth pausing to contemplate in its full dimension.
Britain has around 67 million inhabitants. That means: in 2019, statistically speaking, one in four Britons visited Spain. Not one in four Britons who traveled abroad. One in four Britons overall. That is not a tourism movement. That is a national phenomenon.
Why Spain and Not Somewhere Else?
The answer lies in a combination that is hard to beat. First, the weather: Britain is famous for its wet, grey, unpredictable climate. Spain offers the direct opposite. Reliable sunshine, warm temperatures even in spring and autumn, and seas you can actually swim in.
Second, the price. Compared to Scandinavia, Switzerland, or Italy, Spain is affordable. Hotels, restaurants, supermarket prices, alcohol: everything costs a fraction of what it does in London. For British families with limited budgets, Spain is often the only way to afford a genuine summer holiday.
Third, accessibility. Ryanair, easyJet, Jet2, and British Airways have built a flight network to Spain that is second to none. Manchester to Málaga for £40? Standard. Bristol to Tenerife for £60 in winter? No problem. These prices have democratised mass tourism to Spain.
The Tourist Ecosystem: Built for Brits
What many critics of Spanish tourism forget: the tourist infrastructure along the Costa del Sol, in Benidorm, on Ibiza, and in parts of Mallorca was literally built for British tourists. English-language pubs serve British beer on tap. Full English breakfasts with beans and black pudding appear on menus. Premier League matches are broadcast live. In some places you can holiday for weeks without speaking a word of Spanish or eating a Spanish dish.
For many Britons, that is not a drawback but a feature of comfort. A holiday should relax, not challenge. Benidorm on the Costa Blanca — once mocked as "the Spanish Blackpool" — today has more hotel beds than the whole of Greece and attracts over five million visitors per year.
Numbers and Economic Impact
According to INE, British tourists spent a combined €19.7 billion in Spain in 2019 — the highest figure of any source country. Per person per trip, that averages around €1,090 for an average stay of 9.4 nights.
For individual regions, this dependency is existential. In many municipalities along the Costa del Sol or in Benidorm, 30 to 50 percent of all tourism revenue depends directly on British visitors. A bad summer in Britain — or a weak pound — is immediately felt in these places.
Brexit and Its Consequences for Holidays in Spain
Brexit changed the legal foundation. Britons are no longer EU citizens. The 90-day Schengen rule directly affects those who own holiday homes in Spain and want to stay longer. The British pound has lost real value since Brexit, making holidays in Spain more expensive overall.
And yet: the numbers remain high. In 2023, according to INE, around 16.9 million Britons visited Spain — almost back to pre-pandemic levels. The love of Spain is stronger than any exchange rate or bureaucratic obstacle. Some relationships weather every storm together.
Spain as a Second Home: Retirees, Property, and Life in the Sun
An estimated 300,000 Britons live permanently in Spain — more than in any other EU country. The Costa del Sol has entire English-speaking communities, with British pubs, supermarkets stocking Marmite and Heinz Baked Beans, and doctors' practices specialising in English-speaking patients.
For British retirees, Spain was for decades the dream destination: affordable property, warm climate, EU freedom of movement, and familiar infrastructure. Brexit fundamentally changed that. Britons can now stay in Spain for only 90 days per six-month period without a visa. Those who want to live there permanently need a Spanish residence permit, which requires proof of income and health insurance.
Nevertheless, Britons continue to move to Spain. The Non-Lucrative Visa allows permanent residency for those with sufficient passive income. Spain also introduced a Golden Visa: investing €500,000 in Spanish property earned a residence permit. This program was abolished for residential property in 2024 to curb speculation, but remains available for other forms of investment.
The British-Spanish travel relationship has survived every political storm. It will continue as long as the sun shines over Andalusia and English ale is poured in Málaga.
Cultural Adaptation: When Brits Go Spanish
After years in Spain, something unexpected happens to many British emigrants: they become a little Spanish. The afternoon nap becomes a sacred habit. Dinner shifts from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Fresh produce is bought at the market rather than pre-packaged at the supermarket. You greet neighbours you barely know.
This cultural osmosis works slowly and imperceptibly. It starts with trying the language. A few words of Spanish in the bar, the supermarket, the bakery. The locals almost always respond warmly. The ice breaks. The tourist becomes a resident.
What many Britons in Spain describe is the profound relaxation that arrives when you stop fighting the Mediterranean way of life. No country in the world has a better system for what the Spanish call buen vivir: the good life — unhurried, with good food, in good company. Those who embrace it live longer. That is not a platitude; it is almost science.
And sometimes, after ten or fifteen years, a Brit notices they miss the rain back home. But only a little.
