Barcelona as a destination forecasts year-on-year growth in hotel bookings from the main source markets in the first quarter of 2026

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory in Barcelona: city and region publishes the source market report for the winter months. This report includes a summary of the aerial connectivity, holidays, online interest, and the state and characteristics of hotel reservations from the main source markets in Barcelona Destination: Germany, Span, the United States, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

These are the main highlights from this edition of the report:

• Spain ranks as the market with the most reservations for Barcelona city (21,7% quota), followed by the United States (12,4%). In Barcelona region, the domestic market will continue to be the market with the most reservations (56,5%), followed by the French and American markets (7,0% each).
• All of the analyzed markets will enjoy Christmas holidays until the 4^th-7^th The United Kingdom, Germany, France and the Netherlands will also have mid-term holidays.
• Sagrada Familia continues to top the list of the most frequent online search terms related to Barcelona city from the main source markets.
• The bookings for these dates are made with an average of 4 months in advance for the majority of these markets, and those who travel alone stand out in Barcelona city, while those who travel as a couple do in Barcelona region.

 

Below are the main conclusions of the report by source market:

Germany

• The German cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are still Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 6^th January, and mid-term holidays throughout February and March across different regions.
• The regions with the highest interest for Barcelona city in the last 90 days have been Hamburg and Saarland, and the most searched terms have been Sagrada Familia and the weather.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from Germany are higher than 2025 across Barcelona destination. Reservation peaks can be observed during January in both geographical areas.
• Germans have booked with an average of more than 4 months in advance, and the stays will be for around 3,8 nights in Barcelona city, and 5,8 in Barcelona region. Solitary travelers will be the most frequent in Barcelona city, whereas couples will be the most frequent in Barcelona region.
• The level of hotel bookings in Barcelona city are at a higher level as other international destinations, only behind Vienna. Barcelona region is at a similar level, with similar levels as London.

 

Spain

• The Spanish cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are Palma de Mallorca, Madrid, and Seville.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 7^th Additionally, Easter holidays will start from the 28^th March.
• The region that has shown the greatest interest in Barcelona city over the last 90 days has been Catalonia. The most searched terms have been Sagrada Familia and the parks.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from Spain are also ahead of last year’s same period in both Barcelona city and Barcelona region. There are reservation peaks during March in Barcelona region. Spain is the source market with the most reservations in both Barcelona city (21,7%) and Barcelona region (56,5%).
• Spaniards have booked, for these dates, with an average of more than 4 months in advance. Stays will be around 2,3 nights long in both Barcelona city and region, and travelling as a couple will continue being the most frequent way of travelling.
• Hotel bookings for both Barcelona region and Barcelona city are at a higher level than the average of the other analyzed destinations, only behind Madrid.

 

United States

• The U.S. cities with the highest number of passengers with flight connections to Barcelona Airport are New York, Miami, and Chicago.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 4^th January, and halfway through February for Presidents Day.
• The region that has shown the highest interest in Barcelona city during the last 90 days has been Vermont. The most searched terms have been the Sagrada Familia and the Cathedral.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from the United States are above the same period last year in both Barcelona city and Barcelona region. It should be noted that this is the international market with the most bookings for the upcoming quarter for both Barcelona city (12,4% share) and Barcelona region (7,0% share). The arrival of Americans to Barcelona city will be fairly uniform throughout the quarter, whilst for Barcelona region, reservation peaks can be observed by the end of January and start of February.
• Americans have booked with an average of more than 4 months in advance, the highest booking lead time of any source market for these dates. Stays will be 3,8 nights in Barcelona city, and 6,2 nights in Barcelona region. Solitary travelers will be the most frequent in Barcelona city, while couples’ trips will be the most frequent in Barcelona region.
• Hotel bookings for Barcelona city are at a similar level as other destinations, with similar levels as Paris. Barcelona region is only ahead of Berlin and Vienna.

 

France

• The French cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are still Paris, Nantes, and Nice.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 5^th January, and mid-term holidays throughout February and March across different regions.
• The region showing the greatest interest in Barcelona city over the last 90 days was Languedoc-Roussillon​. The most searched terms were Sagrada Familia, parks and Gaudi.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 are slightly above the same period in 2025. France is currently the international market with the most reservations in Barcelona region (7,0% share).
• The French have booked with an average of more than 3 months in advance for these dates. Stays will be around 2,8 nights for Barcelona city and 3,1 for the region. Group trips will be the most frequent in Barcelona city, while couples’ trips will be the most frequent in Barcelona region.
• The level of hotel bookings for Barcelona city is above the average of bookings for other international European destinations, with similar levels as Amsterdam. The hotel bookings in Barcelona region are at similar levels, similar to Madrid.

 

Italy

• The Italian cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are still Rome, Milan and Venice.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 6^th
• The regions showing the greatest interest in Barcelona city over the last 90 days were Sardinia and the Tuscany. The most searched terms have been Sagrada Familia, the Cathedral and the sea.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from Italy are currently higher than the same period from last year, especially in Barcelona region. In Barcelona city, hotel bookings will follow a similar curve as 2025.
• Italians have booked for these dates with over 3 months in advance. Stays will be 3,3 nights long in Barcelona city, and 5,2 in the region. Couples will be the most frequent travelers in Barcelona city, while family trips will be the most frequent travelers in the region.
• The level of hotel bookings for Barcelona city will be higher than other international European destinations (besides Amsterdam). In Barcelona region, booking levels are below the average.

 

The Netherlands

• The Dutch cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are still Amsterdam, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 4^th January, and mid-term holidays throughout February across different regions.
• The region showing the most interest in Barcelona city over the last 90 days was North Holland. The most searched terms were Sagrada Familia, the weather and hotels.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from the Netherlands are higher than the same period from 2025 in Barcelona city. In Barcelona region, the level of hotel bookings will be higher during January, and lower for February and March.
• The Dutch have booked, for these dates, an average of more than 3 months in advance. Stays will be 3,2 nights-long in Barcelona city, and 4,5 in the region. Travelling alone will be the most frequent in Barcelona city, while travelling as a couple will be the most frequent in Barcelona region.
• Hotel bookings for both Barcelona city and Barcelona region are above the average of bookings for other international European destinations. Barcelona region is currently the destination with the highest level of reservations for March, surpassing even Amsterdam.

 

United Kingdom

• The British cities with the highest number of air passengers from/to Barcelona Airport are London, Manchester, and Edinburgh.
• During the first quarter of 2026, there will be school holidays for Christmas until the 4^th January, and mid-term holidays in February.
• The regions showing the most interest in Barcelona city over the last 90 days have been England and Scotland. The most searched terms have been Sagrada Familia and the Cathedral.
• Hotel bookings for the first quarter of 2026 from the United Kingdom are higher than the same period in 2025 in both Barcelona city and region. Halfway through each month, there are some peaks in hotel bookings.
• The British have booked around 4 months in advance for these dates. Stays will be over 3,4 nights in Barcelona city and 3,6 in Barcelona region. Travelling alone will be the most frequent in Barcelona city, while travelling as a couple will be the most frequent in Barcelona region.
• Hotel bookings for both Barcelona city will be similar to the average of other European destinations, similar to Rome. Barcelona region will be below the average, only ahead of Vienna.