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World’s second-most visited country sees China flight searches jump 33% after World Cup triumph

Samira Vishwas | July 24, 2026 2:24 PM CST

Spain’s FIFA World Cup victory has triggered a sharp rise in travel interest from China, with flight searches to destinations including Barcelona, Tenerife and Malaga increasing up to 33 times.

Data from Chinese online travel platform Qunar on Monday showed that flight searches from Shenzhen to Barcelona staggerred 33-fold increase hour-over-hour after Spain defeated Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final on July 19, the Global Times reported.

Interest also rose on routes from Kunming, Qingdao and Guiyang to Barcelona. Searches from Kunming increased tenfold compared with a week earlier, according to the platform.

A carriage driver makes his way through crowds of tourists in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, April 24, 2025. Photo by Reuters

For Madrid, flight searches from Chongqing were up 1.9 times from the previous week. Searches from Kunming and Jinan each rose eightfold, while those from Wuhan increased sixfold, EuroNews reported.

Analysts at Qunar’s Big Data Research Institute said several Chinese cities already operate direct flights to Spain, with Beijing and Shanghai offering nonstop services to Madrid and Barcelona.

They added that Spain’s World Cup triumph, coinciding with the peak summer outbound travel season, is expected to drive demand for long-haul travel to Europe.

Spain welcomed 96.8 million foreign tourists last year, a 3.2% increase from 2024, making it the world’s second-most-visited country after France.

Spain’s reputation as a safe destination, combined with beaches, historic attractions, vibrant cities, and well-developed hospitality infrastructure, has made it a preferred choice for international travelers seeking a Mediterranean experience. It is forecast to receive around 43 million international visitors between June and September 2026, a 6% increase compared to the same period last year.