7 out of 10 tourists travel on foot within the overnight stay municipality

The main conclusions of this report are presented below, according to the different sections that correspond to the specific objectives of the study.

 

Sociodemographic profile

• Tourist profile: The typical tourist profile who has visited the region of Barcelona in 2022 is that of a man (63.6%), with an average age of 43.5 years, with university studies (57.9%) and working as a salaried employee (66.2%).
• Origin: Despite the decline in the national tourism market share compared to the pandemic years (-22.4% Var.22/21 and -29.4% Var.22/20) and the recovery of part of the international market compared to pre-pandemic years, the national market continues to lead the ranking of origin of tourists from the Barcelona region (50.4%) over the international market (49.6%). France, the United Kingdom and Germany are the three international countries with the most visitors to the Barcelona region.

 

Characteristics of the stay

• Average stay: In Barcelona region, the average stay was 5.0 days, recovering part of the length of stay lost during the pandemic.
• Accommodation typology: As in previous years, more than half of tourists have stayed in a hotel (66.9%), especially in four-star hotels (63.9%), followed by campsites (15.2%) and private homes (with friends, relatives) (14.8%).

 

Reason and characteristics of the travel

• Travel purpose: Leisure continues to be, once again, the reason for the majority of tourists who come to the region of Barcelona (67.7%) followed by professional travelers (20.9%) and personal or other travelers (15.4%).
• Repeatability: After two years marked by mobility restrictions due to Covid-19, in 2022 there has been a 35.3% increase in the number of tourists visiting for the first time the region of Barcelona (50.2%), thus reaching a profile very similar to the one we had in the pre-pandemic years (-0.3pp Var.22/19).
• Travel group and accompanying persons: 78.6% of the visitors does it accompanied, mostly as a couple (52.6%) or with minor children (20.7%). The average of these groups was 4.0.

 

Travel planning

• Alternative destinations: Although more and more tourists are considering alternative destinations when planning their trip, 63.1% of tourists still do not consider any alternative destination to Barcelona region.
• Information sources: The majority of these tourists continue to be guided both by the information they find on websites (49.2%) and by the information provided by their friends and family (21.4%).
• Transport of arrival: Although the private vehicle (car or motorcycle) remains the most used form of transport to reach the Barcelona region (45.6%), it has lost part of the market share it had gained in the last two years, reaching a share similar to the one it had in the pre-pandemics (+7.2pp Var.22/19). Tourists who arrived by plane (38.6%) and by train (8.3%) follow it.
• Hiring channel: The purchase of arrival transport and accommodation have been carried out, once again, mostly through the company’s website (55.9% and 38.5% respectively). Noteworthy that a significant number of tourists contract accommodation online with TTO0, AAVV or others (22.9%) and through other channels with the company (21.2%).
• Anticipation of the reservation: Although tourists who visit Barcelona region no longer contract their trip with as little notice as in the pandemic years, 37.5% continue to do it during the last week or the last day before travel.

 

Expense

• Average expense: The average expense of the whole trip per tourist in 2022 has reached values ​​similar to those of the pre-pandemic years with a value of € 636.9: € 208.3 in round trip transport, € 254.2 in accommodation – € 56.0 per person per day – and € 174.6 in other expenses – € 41.8 per person and night -. Noteworthy that American tourist and those who travel for work continue to allocate a higher average expenditure than the rest.
• Breakdown of Expenses: Tourists continue to spend, once again, more than half of their expense during the stay on food and drink and distributing the rest, in that order, on shopping, internal transport and entertainment.

 

Carried out activities and main internal transport

• Places visited: 52.7% of tourists who have stayed overnight in Anoia have visited the city of Igualada, 52.7% who have stayed overnight in Bages, Montserrat and 51.9% of those who have stayed overnight in Moianès the municipality of Moià.
• Activities undertaken: As in previous years, taking quiet walks to relax (82.2%) and going to restaurants (79.8%) are the activities most carried out by tourists during their stay in the region of Barcelona.
• Internal transport: 69.2% of tourists have chosen to travel on foot within the municipality, 22.8% by their own car, 11.1% by taxi and 7.3% by bus, being on foot the main form of travel in 60.8% of cases.

 

Excursions

• Excursions made: 38.2% have made an excursion outside the municipality in which they are staying, with the city of Barcelona being the main destination for these excursions (24.2%).
• Excursion transport: The private car (38.1%) and the local rail network train (21.3%) are, once again, the means of transport most used to make these excursions.
• Reason for the excursion: Visiting for tourism (64.6%) and attending professional or other work meetings are the main reasons to carry out these excursions.

 

Other aspects of the Destination

• Evaluation of the municipality: The tourist who visits Barcelona region is mainly attracted by the character and friendliness of the people (8.7), by personal safety (8.6) by the climate (8.6), by the accommodation (8.5), by the natural environment (8.4) and by the beaches (8.4) and continues to value the overnight municipality as a whole very positively (8.4).
• Safety in the city: Only 0.9% of tourists report having been the victim of a crime or attempted crime during their stay in the region of Barcelona.
• Sustainability: 26.8% of tourists who visit Barcelona region would be willing to pay an extra cost of more than 10% for a sustainable service
• European destination: 21.4% of tourists who visit Barcelona region have spent the night in another European destination during their trip.

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The Profile and Habits of Tourists in Barcelona region 2022 has been undertaken thanks to 6.128 surveys to visitors aged 18 and over that stayed overnight in the region of Barcelona in the months of January to December 2022 in any type of accommodation other than a second home or a cruise, with the aim of getting to know better the profile and habits of travelers during their stay in the city.

Analyzing the behavior and weight of the Barcelonès region within the Barcelona region, it is possible to consult the data of the Barcelona region without this region through the report of results of the Survey on the profile and habits of tourists in Barcelona Surroundings.

 

More infomation: Profile and habits of tourists in Barcelona region results report 2022