Barcelona, often painted in viral TikTok clips as an empty city abandoned by tourists, is in fact experiencing record-breaking levels of international visitors.
A recent report dismantles the claim, pushed by British tabloid Mirror and amplified online, that the Catalan capital has lost its appeal. Videos circulating on TikTok show quiet stretches of the Ronda Litoral, with captions insisting the streets leading to the beach were not busy in 2023. The suggestion, echoed in Mirror, was that British holidaymakers had turned away from the city in favour of other destinations, declaring Barcelona ‘dead’.
The reality, however, could not be more different. Barcelona has become the most overcrowded tourist city in the world. Data from Nomad eSIM shows that more than 15 million tourists visited the city in 2024 alone—ten times its population. That equates to an average of 916 tourists per 100 residents, or over 200,000 visitors per square kilometre. These figures place Barcelona above Rome, New York and even Paris, and nearly triple the intensity of tourism seen in Venice.
The comparison extends further. Barcelona hosted more international visitors last year than the entire populations of Portugal, Bolivia or Belgium. In terms of tourism volume, it surpassed the combined arrivals of Brazil and Australia. In Spain, one in five tourists nationwide chose Barcelona.
While perceptions may be shaped by selective imagery on social media, the data indicates a city grappling not with decline but with the pressures of over-tourism. The findings also highlight an ongoing tension between Barcelona’s booming tourist economy and local residents concerned about congestion, rising prices and quality of life.
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