Tourism

Below, the BTO presents the main conclusions of the report, according to the different sections corresponding to the specific objectives of the study.

• Air travel was once again the preferred means of transport for arriving in the city of Barcelona (80.8%), and hotels the preferred type of accommodation for tourists (55.4%).
• The average tourist return rate fell slightly compared to the previous year (3.7 times).
• Most tourists visited the city with their partners (36.2%) for leisure and holidays (66.4%).
• As in the previous year, outbound transport tickets were mainly purchased via the airline’s website (74.3%), and accommodation was booked via OTAs (online travel agencies) (61.8%).
• Average expenditure per tourist has increased compared to the past five years, reaching €1,175.27 per person.
• During their stay, tourists mainly got around on foot (44.7%) and by metro (28.1%). The most visited places were Les Rambles (80.9%) and Plaça Catalunya / Passeig de Gràcia (80.0%), and the most common activity was cultural sightseeing (79.0%).
• Tourists rated their stay in the city with a score of 8.7.
• Regarding dining, 62.5% of tourists opted for eating in a restaurant that serves Spanish cuisine during their stay.

Socio-demographic profile

In 2024, the typical tourist visiting the city of Barcelona was male (65.3%), aged 36.2 years, international (86.2%), university‑educated (74.3%) and a salaried employee (63.4%).

Once again, visitors from abroad topped the list of the origins of tourists visiting the city of Barcelona, with a market share of 86.2%. Italy, the United Kingdom, France, the United States and Germany were the countries with the highest number of visitors to the city of Barcelona.

Characteristics of stays  

Hotels remained the most commonly used type of accommodation for 55.4% of tourists in Barcelona, followed by tourist flats (16.3%), staying with friends and family (14.1%) and youth hostels (11.3%). The average stay in the city of Barcelona in 2024 was 4.6 nights, which was lower than in previous years.

Purpose and characteristics of the trip

Despite losing market share, holiday or leisure was once again the main reason tourists travelled to the city of Barcelona (66.4%), followed by professional reasons (20.5%) and personal or other reasons (13.1%). Among those travelling for work, the main reason was to attend a conference or seminar (75.2%).

Yet another year, the number of tourists who had previously visited the city decreased slightly compared to the previous year, at 47.7%. These repeat visitors have visited the city an average of 3.7 times over the last ten years. Three-quarters of these repeat tourists changed some aspect of their trip compared to their last visit, with the main changes experienced by more than 50% of these tourists being the places visited, activities, and travel companions.

Regarding the travel party, with an average of 3.6 people, travelling with a partner continues to be the most common (36.2%), followed by travelling alone (29.6%) and with friends (16.5%)

Planning the trip

Regarding how they planned their visit to the city of Barcelona, 57.0% of tourists checked information on websites, 29.8% got information from their friends and family and 23.5% from social media or blogs. Meanwhile, outbound transport tickets were mainly purchased via the airline’s website (74.3%), and accommodation was booked via OTAs (online travel agencies) (61.8%).

In 2024, air travel was once again the preferred means of transport for arriving in the city (80.8%) followed by trains (11.5%).

With regard to the decision to travel, 21.8% decided to visit Barcelona in the month before travelling, 23.7% between 1 and 3 months in advance and 21.6% between 3 and 6 months. Transport and accommodation were booked at the same time, with 22.4% and 25.2% booking transport, and 24.1% and 24.9% booking accommodation one month in advance and between 1 and 3 months, respectively. Finally, although 24.8% of tourists booked activities during their stay once they arrived in Barcelona, 31.7% of them did not book any activities at all.

Expenditure

In 2024, the average travel expenditure increased by 7.3% compared to the previous year, reaching €1,175.27, distributed as follows: €380.46 for round-trip transport, €400.36 for accommodation (€92.22 per person per day), and €394.45 for other expenses (€99.72 per person per night).

Once again, tourists continued to spend nearly half of their expenditure during their stay on food and drinks, with the remainder allocated to entertainment, shopping and internal transport, in that order.

Activities and internal transport

Tourists visiting the city of Barcelona once again predominantly visited Les Rambles (80.9%), Plaça Catalunya / Passeig de Gràcia (80.0%), the Sagrada Família (77.9%) and the seafront (75.6%).

The most common activities in the city were cultural visits (79.0%), shopping (64.2%) and going to the beach (64.1%).

In 2024, despite a 23.0% increase in tourists who engaged in an activity at the beach, seafront, port, river or lake compared to the previous year, the percentage of tourists who participated in a water sport or nautical activity dropped by nearly half (6.0% vs 11.9% in 2023).

During their stay, 62.2% of tourists used the metro to get around the city, followed by those who walked (58.8%), took a taxi (32.1%) and rode the bus (31.1%). As in previous years, the main forms of transport for tourists were walking and the metro, at 44.7% and 28.1%, respectively.

Excursions

Regarding excursions, 8.8% of tourists headed outside the city, with the Destination Barcelona being the main location for these excursions (7.2%). These excursions continue to be mostly use the local train network (31.7%), private cars (15.0%) and coaches (13.0%), with the main purposes being cultural visits (51.3%), going to the beach (38.8%), visiting natural places and ecotourism (25.8%) and shopping (24.6%).

Finally, the average expenditure on these excursions was €59.50 per person, an increase of €16.66 compared to 2023.

Other aspects of the destination

Tourists visiting Barcelona city were primarily attracted by the architecture (9.3), culture (8.9), and public transport (8.6), and they highly rated the city as a whole (8.7).

Only 2.5% of tourists staying in Barcelona were victims of a crime or attempted crime during their stay, with outdoor areas and public transport yet again being the main locations for these incidents.

Furthermore, 25.4% of tourists visiting Barcelona would be willing to pay a premium of more than 10% for sustainable services.

Finally, 62.5% of tourists ate at a restaurant serving Spanish cuisine during their stay in the city, 52.1% at a bar or café, 40.7% at a restaurant serving Catalan cuisine and 37.1% at a supermarket or market in the city.