Catalonia maintains record number of tourists and spending despite July's decline

BarcelonaThe Catalan tourism sector continues to perform well, but with signs of a temporary slowdown and changes in tourist behavior. Tourists continue to grow in number—despite the slowdowns in July and May—and are spending more and more—although this high spending is explained more by rising prices than by increased activity. This has led to the sector continuing to achieve record figures in cumulative terms this July, with the exception of another indicator: the number of days spent, which remains below the 2024 limit.

Despite an upswing in some months—as was the case in July—the downward trend in the number of days spent by tourists in Catalonia is already very clear in 2025 for a sector that currently represents 12% of the entire Catalan economy. Tourists spending more money in fewer days is seemingly good news, as it could consolidate a tourist profile with greater purchasing power. However, the truth is that the spending data only means the sector is generating more money, not necessarily selling more services—such as hotel stays or meals in restaurants.

Furthermore, the fact that tourists are spending more doesn't equate to much better margins, because the increase in room and menu prices is driven primarily by cost distribution: in July, foreign tourist spending increased by 4.3%, while hotel and restaurant inflation was 3.9%. The number of trip stops and overnight stays in Catalonia also confirms the trend and has now seen three consecutive months of decline, the same number of months that daily spending per tourist has increased.

More than 11.6 million tourists until July

In July, 2.35 million people visited Catalonia, 1.16% fewer than in the same month in 2024. This is the second month this year that the country has received fewer tourists than the previous year—after May—which means that the cumulative number of visitors from January to July remains higher than last year's figures.

Specifically, up to 11.6 million foreigners have visited Catalonia, 1.14% more than a year ago, according to the Statistics on Tourist Movements at Borders, published this Monday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This difference is explained by the fact that at the beginning of the year, in January and February, Catalonia recorded exceptional figures, with double-digit percentage growth compared to the first two months of the previous year.

Beyond the number, the behavior of these tourists is also evaluated, who spend a certain amount depending on the month they are visiting, which is also influenced by the number of days they are on vacation and the place where they spend the night. Sleeping in hotels in Barcelona or the Costa Brava is not the same as staying in campsites in inland Catalonia. In this regard, according to the latest data from the Tourist Expenditure Survey, also published by the INE this Monday, international tourists who visited Catalonia in July spent more than ever: 229 euros per person per day, 4.3% more than a year ago. This result is lower than in May and June, when spending generally increases, leading to three consecutive months of increases and raising the cumulative average for the year to 223 euros, the highest figure of the year and in the historical series. In total, Catalonia recorded absolute expenditure of 3.287 billion euros, the highest figure for a month of July.

Shorter stays

However, according to the same survey, these July tourists—who are fewer than last year, but have spent more—have spent fewer days in Catalonia on average: although a year ago they spent 5.98 days on vacation, and now this metric has risen to 6.10 days, it is still lower than almost all of the rest of the July months in the historical series, which has arrived. Furthermore, although the number of international tourists soared at the beginning of the year, there were also the worst records in terms of number of days, which has meant that Catalonia has had a lower average number of days per tourist all year than last year. In fact, despite the increase in July, the cumulative annual average is 5.35 days, 0.37% less than a year ago.

Spain, a similar trend

In Spain, however, the sector shows no signs of slowing down: both the number of international tourists in July, with 11 million visitors, and the cumulative figure, with 55.5 million, are the highest figures for this month of the year. The same is true of spending data: the amount spent daily per tourist is at an all-time high, both in July, at €210 per person, and in the cumulative figure, at €196. In contrast, the average number of days spent has dropped to 7.12 in July and 7 for the year to date, lower than the previous year, but well above the six days in Catalonia, where hotel and restaurant prices are generally more expensive.