The public perception of tourism in Spain has recorded an advance in the last year, after closing the second quarter with an average score of 5.4 points out of 10. This score represents an increase of seven tenths compared to the same period of 2025, according to the latest edition of the Barometer of Tourist Perception prepared by the consulting firm LLYC.
The report, which is based on the analysis of nearly 1.2 million digital messages in the last twelve months (5.8 million since 2022) on social media, online media, and specialized forums, confirms that, despite the improvement, the reputation of the sector continues to be heavily marked by tourist overcrowding, its effect on access to housing, and the persistent social rejection in destinations with the highest visitor pressure.
Additionally, the study identifies an increase in citizen discontent linked to security, the state of infrastructure, and the perception of a lack of investment in transportation.
In terms of conversation volume, the Community of Madrid, Catalonia, and Andalusia continue to concentrate more than half of the digital interactions related to tourism collected during the last year.
Failing in Andalusia, Catalonia, and the Community of Valencia
The breakdown by autonomous communities shows that only three regions worsen their data compared to the previous year: Castilla y León (-0.5 points), Andalusia (-0.2), and Castilla-La Mancha (-0.1).
This drop places Andalusia as the community with the worst rating in the country, with a 4.1 out of 10 (1.3 points below the national average), penalized by the debate over tourist rental homes, overcrowding, and problems in the high-speed rail network.
The other two autonomous communities that do not pass are Catalonia (4.3) and the Community of Valencia (4.9), although both show a favorable year-on-year evolution.
Catalonia raises its rating by 1.3 points, driven by cultural milestones or the acceptance of the increase in the Barcelona tourist tax, while the Community of Valencia improves by nine tenths after the control measures on the supply of tourist apartments, although gentrification continues to be the main focus of criticism.
Baleares (5), País Vasco (5.1), Canarias (5.2) and Madrid (5.6) manage to leave the negative ground they recorded a year ago thanks to external promotion and the improvement of air connectivity. However, in Canarias, mentions related to security are rising, and in Madrid, those referring to deficiencies in infrastructure.
The north and the interior lead tourist perception
On the opposite side, the communities of the north and the interior of the peninsula —except for the exception of Madrid— maintain the most favorable reputation indices, supported by their cultural offer, the natural environment, and the feeling of a differentiated experience.
Extremadura tops the national classification of tourist perception with 7.7 points (five tenths more in year-on-year rate), followed by Aragón and Asturias, both with 7.5 points after advancing four tenths. Next are Navarra and the Region of Murcia, with a score of 7.2.
Closing the list of positive evaluations are Castilla-La Mancha (6.9), Cantabria (6.8), La Rioja (6.7), Castilla y León (6.6), and Galicia (6.2).
All these communities improve their records compared to the second quarter of 2025, except for Castilla y León and Castilla-La Mancha, conditioned by the saturation of their historic centers or by specific incidents in tourist infrastructures.