Spanish tourist accommodation stays up 3.6 % in January, led by foreign remote-work segment

Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) reported on 3 March that overnight stays in non-hotel accommodation—apartments, campsites, rural lodges and hostels—topped 6.6 million in January 2026, a 3.6 % year-on-year rise. Domestic travellers drove a 9.3 % jump, but the more critical business-mobility takeaway is the 1.9 % increase in international stays, fuelled by long-stay digital-nomad arrivals escaping northern-European winters.

Rural tourism surged 24 % despite a 1.4 % uptick in average daily rates, suggesting that Spain’s new marketing push for “slow travel” and off-season destinations is gaining traction. Canary Islands remained the top draw, logging 2.4 million apartment nights with occupancy rates near 90 %. Camp-site demand from German workers using mobile offices rose 3.7 %, cementing Germany’s position as the main source market for that segment.



Against this backdrop, VisaHQ can help remote workers and the companies that employ them navigate Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa—as well as standard tourist and business permits—through a fast, fully online platform with live support. For details, visit https://www.visahq.com/spain/

For companies operating “work-from-anywhere” policies, the data confirm that Spain continues to out-perform competitors such as Portugal and Greece in attracting location-independent talent. However, capacity constraints are re-emerging: the average length of stay fell 5 % to 5.1 nights, and rural properties report patchy broadband outside major hubs.

Policy-makers will parse the figures ahead of the summer season, as higher-spending visitors support the government’s strategy of quality over quantity. HR teams placing assignees on Spain’s Digital Nomad Visa should note that accommodation costs in insular and rural areas are likely to rise faster than headline inflation.