Tourism

Tourist accommodation and hotels in Barcelona received 9.7 million tourists in 2022, with 29.8 million overnight stays recorded in all. The figures are below those for 2019, a record year, but show that the city’s appeal for visitors has not been affected by the pandemic.

The data show an increase in the average length of stays in 2022, at 3.1 nights, compared to a figure of 2.7 from 2019.

Barcelona is the favourite Spanish destination for people arriving from other countries. Some 79% of visitors to the city are from abroad, with French and US tourists accounting for the largest numbers. Domestic tourism continues to grow, with a 6.8% rise compared to 2019.

The overall amount spent by tourists in the city is over 7,600 million euros, just 9% below the figure for 2019.

More work

The labour market in the tourist sector is evolving more favourably than the economy as a whole. Last year saw 157,000 contracts signed, 45.3% of them permanent. Temporary contracts fell from 88.4% in 2019 to 54.7% in 2022.

Unemployment is this sector also fell to its lowest since 2007, with 6,703 people out of work, some 23.5% lower than in 2019.

Mainly positive consideration

According to the survey “Perception of Tourism in Barcelona”, some 67.1% of local people regard tourism as beneficial for the city and 80.6% believe that it generates jobs and economic opportunities. Even so, 67.9% of those surveyed link tourism with pressure on public space and 54.5% believe it is not beneficial for the development of local commerce.