Catalonia welcomed nearly 100,000 fewer foreign visitors in August compared to the same month last year, breaking the trend of previous August records. Meanwhile, the rest of Spain saw 420,000 more international tourists during the same period, suggesting a shift in where people are choosing to spend their holidays.
The drop is particularly striking when looking at summer as a whole. Between June and September, Catalonia saw 800,000 fewer tourists compared to 2024. However, the year-to-date figures tell a slightly different story. From January to August, tourist numbers in Catalonia remained almost flat, up just 0.2%, whilst Spain overall grew by 3.9%.
Despite the decline in visitor numbers, Catalonia remains Spain’s most visited region with 13.8 million tourists through August. The Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Andalusia and Valencia follow behind. Notably, Andalusia saw strong growth at 8%, whilst other non-traditional tourist areas grew by 6.6%.
Climate and tourist spending patterns
The data suggests tourists may be avoiding the most intense summer heat. Italy’s beach hotels reported similar trends, with visitors preferring the cooler Alps and northern lakes. In Spain, this could explain why non-coastal regions are seeing stronger growth.
Interestingly, tourist spending in Catalonia rose 1.8% in August despite fewer visitors, and the year-to-date increase stands at 2.8%. This is well below Spain’s overall figures of 6.7% and 7.1% respectively. The difference between visitor numbers and spending suggests tourists are choosing higher-value stays rather than simply visiting in greater numbers.
Which tourists stayed away?
Summer data shows clear patterns. Italian visitors dropped 13%, whilst French and British numbers fell 3%. Long-haul travellers from the Americas and Asia also declined, particularly in August. For the full year, Italian visitors were notably down, along with modest decreases from Germany and Britain. American visitors fell 7%, which may relate to the weaker dollar against the euro and higher flight costs.
Hotel stays show quality shift
Hotel occupancy data reinforces these trends. August saw a 1% drop in overnight stays, with summer down 0.7% and the year-to-date figure also showing a 0.4% decline. However, the drops were concentrated in three-star hotels and below. Four-star hotels grew 1%, whilst five-star properties jumped 8.6%, indicating a shift towards higher-end accommodation.
Barcelona’s unique situation
Barcelona plays a massive role in Catalonia’s tourism. According to the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, the city welcomed 12.2 million visitors in 2023, though this remains 12% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels. Industry sources say Barcelona has hit capacity limits, as no new hotels or tourist accommodation have been approved since the 2015 moratorium.
Recent Barcelona data from August shows interesting patterns. Tourist numbers grew 7.5% year-on-year, but average stays shortened from 2.8 nights in 2024 to 2.6 nights in 2025. This meant overnight stays only increased 0.8%. Average spending per stay rose 7.4%, with most money going to food and drink (45.4%), entertainment and culture (23.2%), and shopping (19.3%).
The current figures suggest several factors are at play: the post-pandemic travel boom has cooled, major source markets face economic pressures, and Barcelona’s higher prices may be deterring some visitors. As a mature tourism market, Barcelona naturally sees slower percentage growth. Whether this represents a genuine ceiling or just a temporary adjustment remains to be seen.
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