Barcelona tourism has reached a new historic high in international arrivals. The explosive growth is showing signs of slowing down, according to the latest data.
Barcelona Tourism Reaches Historic Record
The number of foreign visitors to Catalonia between January and November 2025 exceeded 19 million, according to figures released by the National Statistics Institute (INE).
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That’s pushing the sector towards a new historic record for the year.
But it’s also starting to show signs of stabilisation, moving away from the post-pandemic boom.
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However, according to Ara Cat, the city has seen many international tourists during the festive period. Meanwhile, with 19.1 million visitors in the first eleven months of 2025, Catalonia is approaching the previous year’s record of 19.9 million. Additionally, many international tourists visit Barcelona during the holidays. The city council is committed to reinforcing its image as a Christmas destination, as seen during the recent New Year celebrations.
Slowing Growth in Tourist Arrivals
While figures are up, the sector has been seeing a slowdown in growth for some time. It had become accustomed to large increases, which are now harder to achieve. For example, in November, international visitor arrivals grew by just 0.9% year-on-year, reaching 1.27 million. However, this is quite different from the 9.7% increase recorded in the same month last year. That’s a change in behaviour that has been observed for a while, particularly during the peak summer months. Meanwhile, last August, traditionally the busiest month for holidays, saw a 4.3% drop in foreign tourists compared to the same month last year. This trend continued throughout the summer season, with falls in July (-1.2%), May (-5.6%), and September (-1.4%). June bucked the trend, but only slightly, with a 0.1% increase.
Catalonia Leads Spain, But Spending Rises
Catalonia remains the autonomous community in Spain that receives the most visitors from other countries. It’s ahead of the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands, with 15.5 million (+2.6%) and 14.2 million (+3.4%) respectively. However, in November, the Canary Islands overtook Catalonia as the top destination in Spain. However, across Spain as a whole, the slowdown is less pronounced. Meanwhile, the country received 91.4 million international tourists up to November, 3.4% more than in the same period in 2024.
Even with a more moderate arrival of tourists, spending on flights and hotels continues to rise. Additionally, foreign visitors spent €1,467 million in Catalonia during November, 5.9% more than in the same month last year. In fact, with an average spend of €1,152 per tourist, the length of holidays remained at 5.6 days, 0.6% more than a year ago. Also, this is one of the indicators that has been slowing down most recently, after seeing room prices reach levels that are unaffordable for most.
These figures make Catalonia the autonomous community with the highest accumulated spending, accounting for 18.5% of the total, followed by the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. However, across Spain, spending by international tourists in November totalled €8,094 million (+5%), during shorter holidays (-2.4%). Between January and November 2025, tourists spent €126,707 million, an increase of 6.9% compared to the previous year.
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