The arrival of foreign tourists marks a new historical record, although it is beginning to slow down

BarcelonaThe arrival of international tourists continues to grow, but at a slower pace. The number of foreign travelers who visited Catalonia between January and November 2025 was more than 19 million, according to data published this Friday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). The sector is thus heading towards a new all-time record this year, although it is beginning to show signs of stabilization and moving away from the euphoria it experienced after the pandemic. With 19.1 million visitors during the first eleven months of 2025, Catalonia is approaching the record it achieved the previous year, when received 19.9 million. After seeing the city packed throughout December, everything points to the sector closing the year with record-breaking figures. Many international tourists visit the Catalan capital during the holidays, with the city council committed to strengthening its image as a Christmas destination, as has been evident in recent days coinciding with the New Year's celebrations.

Figures are being surpassed, but the sector has been seeing a slowdown in growth for some time now, having become accustomed to large increases that are now harder to find. For example, in November, the arrival of international visitors moderated compared to a year ago, with a growth of 0.9%, reaching 1.27 million. This is nothing like the figure recorded in the same month last year, when the increase was 9.7%.

This change in behavior has been observed for some time, especially during the busiest months, those of summer. Last August, the quintessential month for vacations, saw a decrease in foreign tourists. fell a 4.3% increase compared to the same month last year. This trend continued the one seen throughout most of the summer season, with declines in July (-1.2%), May (-5.6%), and September (-1.4%). June held up, though not significantly, with a growth of 0.1%. Unlike the saturation the sector experiences in summer, Catalonia has seen an increase in international tourists during the rest of the year. The best figures began to appear in January and February, with increases of 12.4% and 7.8%, respectively, at the height of the trade fair season. But the sector also performed well in October, with an increase of 9.9%.

The stronger performance in the first few months of the year, along with October, has allowed the cumulative figures through November to maintain positive growth (+1%). Catalonia continues to be the autonomous community in Spain that has received the most international visitors, ahead of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, with 15.5 million (+2.6%) and 14.2 million (+3.4%), respectively. In November, the Canary Islands took over as the leading destination in Spain, followed by Catalonia.

Across Spain as a whole, the slowdown is less pronounced. The country received 91.4 million international tourists through November, 3.4% more than in the same period of 2014. This slowdown is evident when compared to the increases of a year ago, when foreign visitors grew by 10.7% in November. The United Kingdom was the main source market, followed by France and Germany. Despite the smaller increases this year, Spain, like Catalonia, is on track for another tourism record.

More spending

With tourist arrivals becoming increasingly moderate, spending on airfare and hotels continues to rise. Foreign travelers spent €1.467 billion in Catalonia during November, 5.9% more than in the same month of the previous year. With an average expenditure of €1,152 per tourist, the average vacation length was 5.6 days, 0.6% more than a year ago. This is one of the indicators that has recently It's slowing down even moreAfter seeing how room prices reached levels inaccessible to most budgets.

These figures place Catalonia as the autonomous community with the highest accumulated spending, accounting for 18.5% of the total, followed by the Canary and Balearic Islands. Nationwide, international tourist spending in November was €8.094 billion (+5%), during shorter vacations (-2.4%). Between January and November 2025, travelers spent €126.707 billion, a figure that grew by 6.9% compared to the previous year.