International tourism drives the arrival of travelers to Catalonia towards a record summer

BarcelonaNeither heatwaves nor the rising cost of plane tickets have slowed down the arrival of tourists in Catalonia. During the past month of July, the country received almost 2.7 million visitors, a figure that represents an increase of 2.5% compared to the same period last year and a new record in the historical series, which collects data since 1999.

The increase is mainly explained by the arrival of travelers from abroad. Given the perception of Catalonia – and Spain in general – as a safe tourist destination, many have opted to avoid markets such as the Middle East, immersed in a context of enormous instability. According to provisional data presented this Friday by the National Statistics Institute (INE), more than 1.8 million international tourists visited Catalonia during the month of July, representing an increase of 3.1% year-on-year and a new record since data has been collected.

The increase is higher than that experienced by national tourism, which also grew during July, but more moderately. Thus, Catalonia received nearly 896,000 visitors from other parts of Spain, 1.1% more than in July of last year, and far from the record of almost 950,000 national tourists registered in the seventh month of 2023.

Barcelona drives growth

The increase in the number of arrivals comes mainly from the Barcelona demarcation. According to the INE, the Catalan capital and its metropolitan area received nearly 1.5 million visitors, 5% more year-on-year. Again, international tourism is presented as the main driver of growth. Of these 1.5 million, 1.15 million came from foreign countries, a figure that represents an increase of 7.1%. On the other hand, visitors arriving in the regions of Barcelona from other parts of the State fell by 1.8%, standing slightly above 333,000.

The only demarcation that also perceived an increase in the number of tourists was Tarragona, with a rebound of 0.7% in July, up to 470,000 visitors. Unlike Barcelona, the growth in the territory is explained by a higher influx of national than international tourists. Throughout July, the demarcation received 253,881 travelers from other parts of the Spanish geography, 3.5% more. On the contrary, the number of international tourists contracted by 2.4%, to 225,120.

Regarding the regions of Girona, the number of visitors remained practically stable compared to July of last year, nearing 640,000 tourists. In a similar case to Tarragona, the Girona demarcation saw the number of foreign visitors fall by 3.2%, while the figure for national tourists increased by 6%.

In the demarcation of Lleida, however, the number of tourists suffered a decrease of 9.2%, up to 90,260. In the case of this territory, both the number of foreign visitors and those from other parts of the State decreased.

Overnight stays fall

The increase in the arrival of travelers coincides with a drop in the number of overnight stays, suggesting that the stays of people visiting Catalonia are shortening. Thus, the country registered around 8.15 million overnight stays in July, a figure that represents a year-on-year decrease of 0.3%. This translates into an average stay of 3.02 nights per tourist, below the 3.1 nights corresponding to July 2025.

In this case, overnight stays by visitors from other parts of the State increased slightly, from 2.4 nights last year to 2.43 nights this July. Foreigners, on the other hand, while they tend to have longer stays than national tourists, shortened them this past month. In Catalonia, international travelers stayed an average of 3.36 nights this July, down from 3.45 nights recorded in the same month last year.

By provinces, the longest stays – summing the number of national and international tourists – occurred in Tarragona, with 3.82 nights. Following this are the counties of Girona, with 3.48; Barcelona, with 2.62; and Lleida, with 2.22.

Daily spending accelerates

After a 2025 in which the average daily spending of tourists barely varied – it did so by 1% –, this July the growth rate accelerated. In Catalonia, each visitor spent an average of 149.5 euros per day, 6.1% more than in the same period last year.

A large part of this trend is due to the behavior of tourism in Barcelona and its metropolitan area. This July, the average spending of visitors in the Catalan capital and its surroundings stood at 159.28 euros per day, above the 153.3 euros of last year and the 154 of two years ago.

The province of Girona also registered a strong rebound, which saw its visitors disburse 145.4 euros per day, 13.7% more than in July last year. In Tarragona and Lleida, spending also increased, but less significantly. In the first case, each traveler spent an average of 138.23 euros per day, 3.1% more, while in the second, the average spending stood at 81.6 euros per day, 2.2% more.