Barcelona Records 16 Million Visitors in 2025, a 2.9% Increase from Previous Year
Barcelona, February 3, 2026 – The Catalan capital welcomed a record 16 million visitors in 2025, marking a 2.9% increase compared to 2024. This figure includes visitors staying in regulated and unregulated tourist accommodations, as well as those staying with friends and family. The direct expenditure associated with tourism activities reached an estimated 10.375 billion euros.
Tourism Activity and Overnight Stays
Throughout 2025, regulated tourist accommodations in Barcelona registered 13.5 million tourists, resulting in a total of 37.2 million overnight stays. These numbers surpass 2024 figures by 7.7% for tourists and 1.3% for overnight stays, also exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
In December alone, 974,000 people stayed in regulated tourist establishments (hotels, tourist apartments, and hostels), an 11.87% increase compared to December 2024. This activity translated into 2.6 million overnight stays, up 2.7% from the same month last year, with an average stay of 2.7 nights in December.
According to INE data, Barcelona leads in the number of international tourists and overnight stays in hotel establishments among Spain’s major urban destinations.
Visitor Origin, Spending, and Cultural Activities
International tourism maintained a significant presence in Barcelona’s tourism sector throughout 2025. Data from ICUB shows that the city’s museums received over 3.3 million visitors.
In December, 77.3% of visitors staying in hotel establishments were international, representing a 15.3% year-on-year increase and the highest figure for December in the historical series, according to the Barcelona Tourism Activity Report.
The United States remained the primary international source market, followed by Italy and France. Notably, December 2025 saw significant increases in visitors from South Korea (52.6%), Poland (33.8%), Switzerland (24.5%), Brazil (22.1%), and Japan (11.6%) compared to December 2024.
The average expenditure per visitor in Barcelona was 103.7 euros, a 10% increase from the previous year. The majority of this spending was allocated to food and beverages (41.2%), followed by cultural activities (20%), shopping (18%), and internal transport within the municipality (13.4%).
Cultural activities continue to play a crucial role in the visitor experience, with over 86% of those who visited the city in December reporting participation in cultural visits.
New Passenger Record at the Airport
For the entire year, the total number of passengers at Barcelona Airport reached 57 million, an annual increase of 4.4%, with intercontinental passengers showing a notable 13.2% growth.
In December, Barcelona Airport set a new record with over 4.3 million passengers, a 5.8% increase compared to December 2024.
Source: ajuntament.barcelona.cat
