Younger visitors with an interest in culture and gastronomy

Visitors to the city mainly come for leisure purposes (72%) and have a particular interest in architecture, culture and the weather, in that order.

The tourist profile is younger (average age of 31), travelling with their partner and taking the opportunity to try gastronomy during their stay, go for quiet walks, go to the beach, go shopping and make cultural visits. Cultural facilities in the city have actually seen an upward trend in activity, peaking in July and August.

New trends in travel

Air travel continues to be the main means of reaching the city, with more than 6.5 million passengers arriving via the city’s airport. Besides visitors travelling from Spanish airports, visitors from Italy, France, Germany and Holland account for the highest volume of arrivals, in that order. The number of people arriving by train and by car has also increased notably, by 20.5% and 12.7% respectively.

Spending in Barcelona

Overall spending recorded among visitors came out at over 717.6 million euros, representing a gradual recovery of levels from other years. Credit card spending from foreign visitors in August was 57.3%, accounting for 25% of overall spending in the city.

A sector which makes the economy grow

For the first time since February 2020, tourism has generated new jobs in the province of Barcelona. The summer saw 24,342 new work contracts signed in Barcelona, nearly four times more than in 2020 (262.3%). Work contracts in the tourist sector account for 11% of all contracts signed in the city.