Barcelona Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 20 January 2025

Known for its famous architecture, particularly the renowned La Sagrada Familia, Parc Güell, Casa Batlló, and La Pedrera, Barcelona welcomes millions of tourists every year.

How many people visit Barcelona City every year?

Over 14 million tourists visit Barcelona each year.

• In 2024, Barcelona welcomed 14.5 million total visitors, a 7% decrease from 2023.

• Visitor numbers reached 15.6 million in 2023, an increase from 12.4 million in 2022.

• 14.6 million tourists visited Barcelona in 2019, which dropped to 3.3 million in 2020 and 6.3 million in 2021 during the pandemic.¹

How many people visited Barcelona City in 2024?

• Barcelona welcomed 14.5 million tourists in 2024.International tourists made up the majority of Barcelona’s visitors at 83% (12.0 million), while domestic visitors accounted for 17% (2.5 million) of total tourists in 2024.²

How many people visited Barcelona City in 2023?

• Barcelona welcomed 15.6 million tourists in 2023. International tourists accounted for approximately 81% (12.6 million), while domestic visitors comprised 19% (3.0 million) of total tourists in Barcelona in 2023.

How much do visitors spend in Barcelona City every year?

Tourists spend over €10 billion in recent years in Barcelona.

• In 2024, tourists generated approximately €10 billion in spending, representing 4% growth from 2023.²

• Annual spending reached €9.6 billion in 2023, an increase from €7.1 billion in 2022.

• Spending reached €8.2 billion in 2019 before dropping to €1.5 billion in 2020 and recovering to €3.0 billion in 2021 during the pandemic.

How much does Barcelona earn from tourism in 2024?

• Tourists spend €10 billion in Barcelona in 2024.International tourists contributed approximately 80% (€8.0 billion), while domestic visitors accounted for 20% (€2.0 billion) of total spending in 2024.

Where do visitors to Barcelona City come from?

The United States was Barcelona’s largest source of international tourists, and France was the second-largest international market in 2024.

Top International Source Countries by Visitors (2024)

1. United States: 1.17 million visitors
2. United Kingdom: 620,000 visitors
3. France: 580,000 visitors
4. Italy: 500,000 visitors
5. Germany: 420,000 visitors

How long do international tourists stay in Barcelona City?

• The average duration of stays for international tourists in Barcelona City ranges from 2 to 3 nights.

Spain Travel Resources

Why do tourists visit Barcelona?

Barcelona attracts visitors primarily for leisure travel (64%), with tourists enjoying its architecture, beaches, historic sites, and cultural attractions in 2024.

• Business travel accounts for 20% of visitors, making it the second-largest travel purpose.
• Visiting friends and relatives represents 16% of visitors.

When is the best time to visit Barcelona?

The best time to visit Barcelona depends on weather preferences and crowd tolerance.

• April-June (Spring/Early Summer): Ideal conditions with pleasant temperatures (15-25°C), long daylight hours, and moderate crowds.
• July-August (Summer): Peak season with warmest weather, beach season, and festivals, but highest crowds and prices.
• September-October (Autumn): Excellent weather with fewer crowds than summer, shoulder season pricing, and cultural events like La Mercè festival.
• November-March (Winter): Mild Mediterranean winter, Christmas markets, lowest crowds and hotel rates, though cooler for beach activities.

What were Barcelona’s peak tourist months in 2024?

July was the peak tourist month in Barcelona in 2024.

• July was the busiest month with approximately 1.42 million visitors, followed by May with 1.38 million visitors.

• October attracted around 1.37 million visitors, while August drew 1.32 million visitors.

Impact of Coronavirus – Barcelona City Tourism Statistics 2020

• In 2020, Barcelona City experienced a significant reduction in visitors due to the coronavirus pandemic.

• Tourist visits dropped by 77% in 2020 compared to the 2019 pre-pandemic period.

How popular is Barcelona City as a tourist destination?

Barcelona City is the 3^rd top city in Europe and 10^th in the world in terms of number of visitors and spending by international tourism.³

• Barcelona, Spain suffers from severe overtourism, which resulted in 3,000 residents protesting on July 6 2024. Residents demanded reduced tourist numbers and for the government to prioritize fairer economies.

Top Attractions in Barcelona City

• La Sagrada Família: Designed by Antoni Gaudí, this basilica attracts an annual average of over 4.5 million visitors, making it one of the most visited landmarks in Barcelona.

• Parc Güell: A park featuring gardens, architectural elements, and panoramic hillside views, visited by an average of 3 million people annually.

• Casa Batlló: A UNESCO World Heritage site and cultural icon of Barcelona, it welcomes approximately 1 million visitors per year.

• La Pedrera (Casa Milà): Known as one of Gaudí’s most innovative civic designs, it attracts around 1.2 million visitors annually.

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References

1. Observatori:Key Tourism Figures of Barcelona ↩︎
2. BarcelonaCat: Activitat turística Ciutat de Barcelona Novembre 2024 ↩︎
3. BarcelonaCat: Growth in the Economic Return from Tourism ↩︎
4. BarcelonaCat: The Tourism Sector in Barcelona ↩︎