Average expenditure during the stay per person and night has increased in the month of May

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory: city and region, presents the monthly analysis of the main  tourism activity monitoring indicators.

The main conclusions of the May update are presented below by geographical area:

Barcelona city

• Hotels and guesthouses accounted for 680 establishments and more than 87.000 operational beds, slightly above both April and the previous year (+0,75% Var. 25/24).
• Demand for hotels, guesthouses and Homes for Tourist Use (HTUs) increased compared to the previous month in tourists, but maintained the same level in overnights. If compared interannually, the number of tourists increased (+15,0% Var. 25/24) but the average length of stay was shorter (from 2,9 nights in 2024 to 2,6 nights in 2025), which led the number of overnight stays to grow at a lower rate (+2.8% Var. 25/24).
• By type of accommodation, the average stay was 2,4 nights in hotel establishments and 3,2 in HTUs. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate decreased to 71,4% in hotel establishments (-3,7pp Var 25/24) and increased to 65,5% in HTUs (+10,5pp Var. 25/24).
• At Barcelona Airport, there were around 5,2 million passenger movements (+4,1% Var 25/24). The ranking of countries from which passengers flew to Barcelona Airport was led by Spain, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
• At the Port of Barcelona there were about 490.000 cruise passenger movements, a 20% increase compared to April, and 112.000 ferry passenger movements. For cruise ships, this represented a year-on-year increase in activity (+11,3% Var. 25/24), whilst for ferries it represented a decrease (-4,7% Var. 25/24).
• Regarding the origin of tourists, in hotel establishments the proportion of international visitors was 86,2%, the same as the previous month (+0,0pp). The ranking of tourists for this kind of establishment was once again led by the United States (18% share), followed by Spain (13,8%), the United Kingdom (7,3%) and France (5,9%).
• The typical tourist in Barcelona¹ during this month was a 37-year-old traveler, most commonly visiting as a couple (34,8%). Those who traveled for leisure accounted for almost 6 out of 10 travelers, while those who traveled for professional reasons came in second place, at 31,9% (+14,2pp compared to the previous month).
• The average expenditure during the stay in the city grew both compared to the previous month (+16,2%) and the previous year (+13,2% Var. 25/24), at 117€ per person per day. It is worth noting that this was the highest recorded figure for a month of May.
• Spending during the stay in the city was primarily allocated to food and beverages (47,0%), followed by entertainment, leisure and culture (18,8%) and internal transportation (16,1%).
• Regarding the labor market, new hiring in the core tourism sector increased compared to the previous month, but decreased year-on-year (-9,2% Var. 25/24). Almost 6 out of 10 were permanent contracts, and the registered unemployment in the tourism activity was lower than the same period in 2024 (-2,6% Var. 25/24).

Barcelona region

• The operational supply of tourist accommodation in Barcelona region maintained similar levels as 2024 (-0,1% Var. 25/24), but increased by 22,7% compared to the previous month with 1046 establishments and almost 90.000 operating bedplaces.
• Tourist demand also increased month-on-month for both tourists (+24,0%) and overnight stays (+28,6%). Compared to 2024, there was an increase in tourists (+2,3% Var. 25/24) and a slight decrease in overnight stays (-0,5% Var. 25/24), signifying a decrease in the average length of stay (from 2,9 nights in 2024 to 2,7 nights in 2025).
• By type of accommodation, campsites had once again the longest length of stay (3,3 nights), followed by hotel establishments (2,7 nights) and rural tourism (2,5 nights). In terms of occupancy rate, hotel establishments registered a 75,2% in bedplaces (+16,8pp Var. 25/24), campsites registered a 52,4% (+1,5pp Var. 25/24) and rural tourism registered a 23,7% (+3,9pp Var. 25/24).
• 61,7% of tourists in hotel establishments in Barcelona region were international, a higher proportion than in the previous month (+2,0pp).
• The typical tourist in Barcelona region during this month¹ was a 45-year-old individual who traveled for leisure (53,9%) and as a couple (44,2%). It is also noteworthy that compared to the previous months there was a rise in professional trips (+6,6pp), which led to an increase in solo travelers (+6,2pp) and travelers with work colleagues (3,1pp).
• Average expenditure during the stay was set at 49,6€, much higher than in the month of April (+19,5%) but lower than the previous year (-9,2% Var. 25/24). Taking into account the data for Barcelona city, the average expenditure in Destination Barcelona was 88,2€ (+3,9% Var. 25/24).
• The expenditure during the stay was mainly allocated to food and beverages (61,3%), shopping (14,6%) and internal transportation (13,1%).
• Hiring in the tourism activity in Barcelona region also decreased year-on-year (-1,7% Var. 25/24), but 56% of new contracts were permanent and the registered unemployment decreased by 4,6% year-on-year.

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¹ For more information on the profile and habits of tourists during February in Destination Barcelona, please click on the following link.

More information:

Summary of tourism activity in Destination Barcelona – May 2025

Tourism activity interactive report