The year begins in Catalonia with a decrease in foreign tourists

BarcelonaDespite the fact that 2025 closed in Catalonia with a record number of foreign touristsAfter attracting over 20 million international visitors last year, 2026 has started more slowly, with a decrease in visitor numbers, according to data published Wednesday by the National Statistics Institute (INE). In January, Catalonia received 1.01 million tourists, a 6.2% decrease compared to the previous year. In fact, although the number of foreign tourists increased across Spain as a whole—5.12 million, 1.2% more than a year ago—three of the main receiving autonomous communities saw fewer tourists than in the first month of last year: the Balearic Islands (-8.8%), Catalonia (-6.2%), and the Valencian Community (-3.5%). These declines contrast with the growth in visitor numbers in the Community of Madrid, which received 766,365 foreign visitors in January, an 8.8% increase compared to the same month last year. Other regions that saw an increase in visitors were Andalusia, with 720,164 (a 3.8% increase), and the Canary Islands, with 1,427,922 (a 4.9% increase). Despite fewer foreign tourists arriving in Catalonia, those who did visit spent more money. Tourist spending in Catalonia in January totaled €1.274 billion, a 14.8% increase compared to the same month last year. This increase in total spending, despite the lower number of tourists, occurred because visitors to Catalonia spent more on average than those who arrived in January of the previous year.

More spending

Thus, average spending per visitor rose to €1,260, 22.4% more than in January of last year, and daily spending per visitor increased by 12.7% to €185. Furthermore, another factor influencing the increase in spending was that visitors, on average, stayed longer in Catalonia. In fact, the average stay rose to 6.8 days, 8.6% more than a year ago. Across Spain, foreign visitors spent €7.805 billion in January, 9.3% more than a year earlier. The largest increase in tourist spending, 15.6%, was in the Community of Madrid, where €1.810 billion was spent. In January, the region presided over by Isabel Díaz Ayuso was the second highest recipient of tourist spending, second only to the Canary Islands, where €2.241 billion was spent.