For entrepreneurs, discovering the Spanish capital often feels like a first meeting: they come to Madrid for the holidays and come back for the business.
Every year, nearly 12 million international visitors choose Madrid, generating 23.27 million overnight stays. Altogether, these visitors spent some €16.1 billion in the capital in 2024 — 21% more than the previous year. Barajas airport, Spain’s busiest with 66.2 million passengers, is the most immediate reflection of this momentum.
What are these travellers looking for? A region that combines culture, gastronomy and quality of life without the overcrowding. June marks the opening of 60 open-air municipal swimming pools, neighbourhood terraces and a festival calendar that runs through to September: Mad Cool, Veranos de la Villa, the nights at the Retiro. Less congested than many of its rivals, Madrid is firmly establishing itself as Southern Europe’s great urban summer destination. International recognition follows: third most attractive city in the world according to Euromonitor, behind Paris and Dubai, and above all best European destination 2026 according to European Best Destinations.
But Madrid has a particular talent: turning tourists into investors. Entrepreneurs who come for a week’s holiday often leave with a business plan. The reasons are well known : labour costs 20 to 30% lower than in France or Germany, an exceptional talent pool with three major universities, 122 active spin-offs and 93 accelerators, and a 2026-2030 industrial plan that explicitly targets foreign companies. German entrepreneurs, in particular, have taken note: Madrid alone captures 47% of their investment in Spain. Come for the holidays. Come back for the business