Despite 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.

The cumulative spending of foreign travelers in Catalonia grew by 4.5% in 2025 compared to the previous year, a rate almost four times higher than the increase recorded in the number of tourists (+1.2%). Thus, Catalonia registered a total of €24.826 billion in revenue from international tourism in 2025, a figure that represents 18% of the national total, according to the Catalan Government's tourism balance report, which highlights that these results "validate the transition towards a higher-value model where economic profitability takes precedence."

Spain broke a new all-time record for international tourists in 2025, registering 97 million visitors, a 3.5% increase over the previous year. This was accompanied by a record high in tourist spending, reaching €134.71 billion, a 6.8% increase. In fact, the money spent by foreign visitors during their visit is growing faster than the number of tourists, meaning that those who do come are spending more. This was revealed by the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, at a press conference this Thursday to review the 2025 figures and offer a forecast for 2026, ahead of Fitur, the major tourism trade fair, which takes place next week in Madrid. "We are growing in the way and at the pace that we believe is desirable for triple sustainability: economic, social, and environmental," the minister emphasized. The Minister of Tourism highlighted the 4% increase in salaried workers in the sector, while also noting the decrease in the temporary employment rate to 19.1% (-0.3 percentage points).

After years of record-breaking results, the tourism sector is beginning to show signs of slowing down. In Catalonia, the number of international visitors fell in May, down 5.6% compared to the same month last year, to 1.9 million, according to data published this Wednesday by the INE (National Institute of Statistics and Census). This decrease was also detected in another prominent tourist destination, the Balearic Islands, where arrivals fell by 0.2%, to 1.9 million.