The Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona updates the Destination Barcelona tourism forecast report as of 28/01/2022. This report highlights the effects of Covid-19 on the tourism sector.

Current Covid-19 restrictions in Catalonia

In Catalonia, from 28/01/22 and during 7 days:

• Catering services: 100% capacity. A distance of 1.5m between tables must be kept. Dance activities are not allowed. Opening hours according to license.
• Shops: 100% capacity. Opening hours according to license.
• Concerts, cinemas, theatres, auditoriums, circus tents, and similar spaces: 100% capacity. Assistants must be seated, both indoors and outdoors.
• Sports: 100% capacity. Sectors of 10,000 people outoors and 5,000 indoors must be established.
• Trade fairs, conventions, and congresses: allowed at 100% capacity.
• Nightlife: it remains closed.
• Use of facemask: mandatory both in public use places or open to the public places, both indoors and outdoors.
• Ventilation and crowds control: any activity must be carried out guaranteeing a good ventilation and organizational measures to control crowds.

Source markets

The EU Digital COVID certificate is operational. In Spain, the entrance of passengers from EU countries (or zones) with risk is allowed if one of the following is presented:

1. Vaccination certificate

2. Diagnosis certificate

3. Recovery certificate

The rest of EU passengers are accepted without any certificate. 

Passengers from the United Kingdom can only travel to Spain with a vaccination certificate.

On the other hand, passatgers who travel for non-essential reasons from intercontinental countries with vaccination certificate are also accepted.

Transportation offer

The forecasts show an increase in the number of seats operated worldwide through the next weeks, altough below prepandemic levels. However, it should be reminded that airlines continue to readjust their flight schedules week after week. In Spain, this week, air capacity has stood at -33.2% compared to the same week in 2019. At Barcelona Airport, 137 routes, 26 of them intercontinental, are currently operating.

During the following week, 5 cruise ships are leaving or making a stopover at Barcelona Port. In February and March about 50 cruises will operate in the city. The peak season will start in April, while in May and October, the maximum number of boats will be registered.

Tourist offer and professional events

The hotel accommodation has remained stable: by the end of December 2021, 310 hotels and 60,235 bed supplies were open. As for the culture offer, 94,4% of the 89 monitored cultural facilities in Barcelona city are working.

The next professional events in Destination Barcelona will take place from 02/02/22. In 2022, 91 events are confirmed, and about 90 applications are open until 2027.

Tourist demand

Over the last week, Google searches from Spain for Barcelona city have slightly increased, while in Destination Barcelona they have remained stable. Most of the searches for both geographical areas keep coming from Catalonia.

From 12/01 to 18/01, the Barcelona flights and accommodation searches have achieved their best positioning in Spain, France, Italy, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and Germany, in this order. Destination Barcelona has ranked 11th in searches of accommodation and 10th in searches of flights in the ranking of international destinations worldwide.

Finally, from 16/01 to 22/01, hotel reservations in Barcelona city, which lead time's has decreased to 26 days, have stood at 57.2% compared to the series peak (January 2020), below the previous week (41.4%). In Barcelona region, the bookings have stood at 66.2% compared to the series peak (June 2021), which also means an increase over the previous week (65.1%) and its lead time has stood at 20 days. As for the origin, international bookings have been higher in Barcelona city (59.0%), while in Barcelona region, the domestic ones have been the most numerous (54.1%).

Destination Barcelona tourism forecast (28/01/2022)