Barcelona Tourism Statistics

Page last updated: 22 July 2024

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.

Overview

How many people visit Barcelona City every year?

Over 12.4 million tourists visited Barcelona City in 2023.

Barcelona City welcomed 14.6 million visitors in 2019.
The number of tourists significantly declined to 3.3 million in 2020 and 6.3 million in 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Barcelona City saw a recovery in tourism with 12.4 million visitors in 2022 and 2023, 73% higher than 2020, but still 15% less than the 2019 pre-pandemic period.¹

How much do visitors spend in Barcelona City every year?

Visitor spending in Barcelona City generated €9.6 billion in 2023.

This number was up 26% compared to €7.1 billion in 2022 and 15% higher than €8.2 billion in ²2019.
Data on tourism revenue for 2020 and 2021 is not available.

Where do visitors to Barcelona City come from?

The largest groups of international visitors are from the US, followed by the UK, France, Italy, and Germany.

Visits from Japanese and Russian tourists dropped by 53.4% and 64.5%, respectively.

How many people visited Barcelona City in 2022?

Barcelona City welcomed 12.4 million visitors in 2022.

How much did people spend in Barcelona City in 2022?

Barcelona City generated €7.1 billion in tourism expenditure in 2022.

While food and beverages accounted for the largest share of daily spending by visitors in Barcelona City, the purchase of clothing, souvenirs, and other personal articles took another 16.8% or around €85 of a visitor’s daily expenditure.

How long do international tourists stay in Barcelona City?

The average duration of stays for international tourists in Barcelona City ranges from 2.7 to 3 nights.

Spain Travel Resources

Impact of Coronavirus – Barcelona City Tourism Statistics 2020

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

Read more about Global Overtourism and other countries that experiencing it.

Top attractions in Barcelona City

La Sagrada Família: This century-old labour of love, dreamt by Antoni Gaudí, is one of the most controversial and one of the most visited basilicas.
Parc Güell: A maze of walls and walkways consisting of gardens, architectural displays, and hillside views.
Casa Batlló: This is a UNESCO World Heritage site and an icon. It is also one of the most highly rated cultural and tourist attractions in Barcelona.
La Pedrera: Also known as Casa Mila is considered as Antoni Gaudí’s most iconic work of civic architecture. Its constructional and functional innovations broke the architectural styles of his day.