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# Foreign tourists to Catalonia drop 4.3% despite Spain’s growth
- URL: https://barna.news/foreign-tourists-to-catalonia-drop-4-3-despite-spains-growth/
- Published: 2025-10-03T15:04:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-04-11T21:27:37.000Z
- Description: Catalonia’s tourism figures paint a mixed picture this summer. International visitors dropped 4.3% to 2.2 million in August, whilst Spain overall saw tourist numbers grow by nearly 3%. The decline mainly comes from fewer visitors from the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom. However, the dr
- Author: Brandon Watea
- Tags: Economy & Finance

Catalonia’s tourism figures paint a mixed picture this summer. International visitors dropped 4.3% to 2.2 million in August, whilst Spain overall saw tourist numbers grow by nearly 3%. The decline mainly comes from fewer visitors from the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.

![](https://barna.news/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Tourists-1024x683.avif)

Tourists in front of Casa Batlló on Paseo de Gràcia in Barcelona, this summer / **GIANLUCA BATTISTA**

However, the drop in foreign tourists was partly offset by more Spanish visitors. Overnight stays only fell 1% in August, with domestic tourism up 10% and international stays down just 0.5%. The summer months showed a consistent slowdown, starting with 0.09% growth in June, a 1.17% drop in July, and the 4.3% fall in August.

The biggest declines came from long-haul markets. American visitors fell 21%, Italians dropped 19%, and Brits were down 7.1%. Meanwhile, nearby countries picked up the slack, with French tourists up 71.5% and Portuguese visitors rising 31.1%. Germans, who had been quiet earlier in the year due to economic troubles at home, increased 12.7% in August.

Barcelona’s hospitality sector noticed the slowdown mid-summer, though key indicators like airport activity, cruise traffic, and hotel occupancy still rose, just not as sharply as before. The Barcelona Hotel Guild reported 86.5% summer occupancy, only one point higher than last year. But hotel prices remain at record levels, averaging €191.60 per room in July and August.

The industry sees this as proof that the quality-over-quantity strategy works. Fewer tourists might come, but they’re spending more. Average daily spending hit €229 per tourist in August across Catalonia, €16 more than last year. Tourist spending grew 1.8% in August, 5.2% in July, and 1.9% in June.

Right now, the sector considers this a positive summer despite lower numbers. The data suggests Catalonia is successfully attracting tourists willing to pay premium prices, even if overall visitor volumes have dipped.

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[Source](https://elpais.com/espana/catalunya/2025-10-02/cataluna-se-descuelga-de-la-buena-marcha-del-turismo-los-visitantes-extranjeros-caen-un-43.html?utm%5Fsource=Barna.News&utm%5Fmedium=web&utm%5Fcampaign=organic)