The 'silver' tourism: the antidote against massification

The archetype of the tourist who walks through Catalonia and, specifically, Barcelona, remains in the collective imagination as that group of young people who travel with low cost companies, do not contribute to local commerce, saturate La Rambla and Park Güell, and desperately seek a bar to drink cheap alcohol. However, a new model has been emerging in Catalonia for years as an antidote to mass tourism: silver tourism, that segment of the population over 55 or 60 years old, with purchasing power and consumption capacity.

It is increasingly common to find married couples or groups of these ages traveling around the territory beyond the summer months, when the Catalan coast suffers from tourist pressure and the streets of the capital are filled with graffiti that reads: Tourists go home. The difference between the two is that silver tourists show greater consistency throughout the year. Throughout 2025, tourists over 65 years old made more than 85% of their tourist spending in Spain. In contrast, middle-aged tourists increase the international component in August and during the Christmas period, and younger tourists show even greater variability.

"Spain is heading, according to projections, to be the most aged country in the world by 2040, and those over 60 years old already concentrate about 65% of the wealth in many of the European tourist-emitting markets," explains Óscar Bilbao, head of the senior tourism training program VIVAENT. According to Bilbao, this new model has become a strategic lever. He clarifies that it is not a niche, but a core for the future of tourism.

One of the latent conflicts in Catalonia is the lack of tourist roots in the territory regarding traditions, commerce, and respect for the language and culture. However, international silver tourism has found a refuge in Catalonia from the humid and cold climate of Northern Europe, which is why it has developed a high degree of loyalty. "They make many trips a year and tend to repeat," assures Bilbao.

The national component exists, as silver individuals play a relevant role in rural areas. The weight is less in urban areas such as Barcelona, Madrid, Seville, or Valencia, but it increases inland. In particular, Soria, Zaragoza, and Teruel concentrate more than 20% of the total tourist spending in each province, according to the latest sectoral analysis from 2026 by CaixaBank Research.

The meeting point between nationals and foreigners is loyalty. The proper functioning of tourism in rural provinces is related, according to the report, to the bonds that some silver tourists maintain with their hometowns or those of their families, a fact that favors trips to these destinations.

An alternative to mass tourism

The silver prefer less saturated environments, and that is why senior tourism can act as a lever for diversification. "Avoid crowded environments, prefer personalized treatment and calm experiences. It does not compete for the same resource that saturates Park Güell in August and redistributes pressure to other territories," emphasizes Bilbao.

This de-seasonalisation energises the economic activity of many inland municipalities and rural areas, beyond the coast and the Pyrenees. "The mayors tell us that this visitor helps, a lot, to fill the towns with life during the off-peak months," he points out.

Catalonia brings together in a small space all that this traveller seeks: a Mediterranean climate, cultural heritage, gastronomy rooted in the territory, and landscape diversity. To all this, a health and transport infrastructure that provides security is added. However, the big unknown is whether Catalonia needs or is prepared to absorb more tourism.

According to Bilbao's criterion, the territory does not have the necessary human capital. That is why he believes that training must be promoted. "There is no need to reinvent the sector. The regional tourism technician and the receptionist at the three-star hotel must understand who they have in front of them and stop applying the sun-and-beach tourist script to them," he stresses. The precariousness of labour in the sector is another cause for concern. Concentration in the summer months leaves workers in a vulnerable position, which is why de-seasonalised tourism can be a way to stabilise contracts.

Liveable and more accessible cities

The Catalan capital has long been undergoing a transformation with which its inhabitants are not comfortable. Silver tourism does not mean having to design a new city for a premium segment, but rather managing to reconcile, if possible, with a relaxed city, better signposted and more accessible for families and residents. An objective that, according to Bilbao, is shared.

Although tourism has a clear impact on housing access, this consequence can be reduced. Young tourists, those who travel with friends or as a couple, tend to prefer to live in a tourist apartment because their economy is more limited. Silver tourists, on the other hand, present different consumption patterns from the rest. As the analysis by CaixaBank Research indicates, they allocate a higher proportion to accommodation in hotels. This is a trend that favors the reduction of tourist apartments and helps to contain prices. Although it is common for tourists between 65 and 70 years of age to have a second residence, this trend is reduced for older seniors, which explains the need to stay in hotels.

They also stand out for a greater tendency towards cash payment. Furthermore, those over 65 years of age spend almost double on travel agencies (6.5% of senior tourist spending, compared to 3.3% of non-seniors) and also allocate a larger proportion to accommodation in hotels. On the other hand, their spending on restaurants is lower, while spending in supermarkets remains at similar levels to the rest.