Catalonia Leads Tourism in Spain with 14.3 Million Visitors by August

The region received one in every five tourists who arrived in Spain between January and August, with a growth of 3.9%, below the national average. The sector warns of the impact of new cruise fees and the closure of tourist apartments in Barcelona.

Catalonia remains the preferred destination for foreign tourists in Spain. Between January and August of this year, the region received 14.3 million visitors, which represents 20.4% of the national total, according to data released by eldebate.com. During the same period, Spain recorded the arrival of 70.3 million tourists.

The growth in Catalonia was 3.9% compared to the previous year, one and a half points below the Spanish average. Despite leading in volume, the growth rate lags behind other regions such as Andalusia, which grew by 10.4% with nearly 11.1 million visitors, or the Valencian Community, with a 9.4% increase and 9.4 million tourists.

The Catalan tourism sector observes with concern the measures announced by the Generalitat and the Barcelona City Council, such as the increase in short-stay cruise fees or the closure of tourist apartments in the city. From Empresaris de Catalunya, its president, Josep Bou, warns that these decisions could mean "killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, given that tourism is a driver for many other sectors of the Catalan economy."

"Killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, given that tourism is a driver for many other sectors of the Catalan economy."

Across Spain, Balearic Islands was the second region with 11.7 million visitors and an increase of 2%. Canary Islands was the only region with more than ten million tourists that saw a decline, with a drop of 0.5% to 10.2 million. The remaining eleven regions combined account for less than seven million visitors and do not reach 10% of the total.

The average stay has decreased: in 2021 it was 8.15 days and now it stands at 7.15 days, one day less. Despite this, the average spending per tourist per day reaches 195 euros.

Official and sector forecasts indicate that Spain will close the year with 102 million visitors and revenues of 145.523 billion euros, an 8% increase from the previous year. By August, revenues were already nearing 100 billion euros. In 2025, a record of 96.8 million visitors was reached, although with a lower per capita spending.

By source markets, the United Kingdom leads with nearly 14 million tourists (19.8% of the total) and a growth of 5.4%. It is followed by France with 9.2 million, but with an advance of only 1.4%. Germany, with 8.2 million, shows almost flat behaviour (0.3%). The Italian market shows the best evolution, with an increase of 10.3%. For Alfredo Izquierdo, director of Forma Italia, a company of the Grupo Agora Iuris: "Fortunately, the customs controls imposed after the Ceuta crisis have not affected relations between Spain and Italy nor their tourism, and they remain as solid as ever."

"Fortunately, the customs controls imposed after the Ceuta crisis have not affected relations between Spain and Italy nor their tourism, and they remain as solid as ever."

Tourism from the United States is also growing strongly: an 11.6% increase, reaching 3.5 million visitors, close to 5% of the total.

For the reader in Catalonia, these figures confirm the weight of the sector in the local economy, but also highlight the challenges it faces due to new regulations. The Barcelona City Council plans to implement the closure of tourist apartments and the increase in cruise fees throughout the next year, measures that the sector will continue to monitor closely.