Tourists continue to increase in Catalonia, but fewer days are spent there.

BarcelonaAfter years of record-breaking growth, the tourism sector has been experiencing for months that the momentum is slowing down. More travelers returned to Catalonia in August, but they stayed for fewer days. Furthermore, prices, which had skyrocketed in recent summers, are also beginning to slow, having become unaffordable for many, with rooms costing €200 a night in the Catalan capital.

More than 2.72 million tourists visited Catalonia last month, a 2.6% increase compared to last year, according to data published Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics (INE). This growth was less strong than that seen in other years, but one that is barely noticed by residents of tourist destinations packed to the rafters during the summer months, such as the towns of the Costa Brava and the city of Barcelona. All of this without forgetting that the tourist season—which runs from March to October—in 2023 and 2024 was very good, with significant increases compared to the previous year, which means that growth in 2025 will be more modest.

Despite the increase in tourists, the number of days they stayed has decreased, an issue that affects hotel revenue, but also that of restaurants and taxis. Thus, hotel overnight stays in August stood at 8.81 million, a 1% decrease compared to the figure from a year ago. With more than 2,500 establishments open offering almost 156,000 rooms, hotel occupancy was 78% compared to 80% a year ago. This figure has been detected for months, with increasingly shorter stays, around six days in July, a lower figure compared to previous years.

This dynamic of restraint in the number of nights booked by travelers cannot be separated from room prices. The average price of a room was €146.3 this August, slightly higher than the €145.8 paid a year ago. In fact, the hotel sector has even set a precedent this year, unprecedented since the pandemic. whose prices have risen less than general inflation.

Despite this almost zero growth, these are record amounts the sector has never seen before. In both June and July, hotel prices registered very contained increases, following year-over-year increases of up to 45% in previous years. In August of last year alone, the price per room grew 7% year-over-year.

History repeats itself in Barcelona

In Barcelona, history is repeating itself, as hoteliers in the Catalan capital have been warning for months. More than 836,000 tourists visited the city last month, nearly 90% of whom were foreigners. This figure represents a 6.8% increase compared to the previous year. As for overnight stays, they reached 2.2 million, almost 1% more than last year, driven by more stable behavior among travelers from the rest of Spain compared to those from outside the country. This resulted in an average stay of 2.61 days, 6% less compared to the data from a year ago.

Occupancy stood at 79%, very similar to that of August 2024. In this regard, the Hotel Association has noted that occupancy has rebounded in July and August compared to the decline experienced in previous months. However, prices have dropped, with an average rate of €167.4 this August, compared to €176.5 a year ago, a 5% decrease. In this regard, the president of the Hotel Association, Jordi Clos, highlights The drop has particularly affected five-star and four-star hotels, with a decrease of €20 and €7 per room in July, respectively.

Barcelona and Catalonia, two of the main destinations in the State, are feeling this slowdown in the tourist euphoria brought on by the pandemic more than the rest of Spain. Some 13.8 million tourists visited the State, almost 2% more than a year ago, with international travelers slightly outnumbering domestic travelers. In contrast, overnight stays grew and reached 48.2 million, almost 1% more than in August 2024. As for prices, they continued to rise. The average rate for a room was €155.72, compared to €146.83 a year ago. The largest increase was seen in the Community of Madrid and the lowest in Catalonia.