The Barcelona Airport maintains the upward trend in the fourth quarter with a year-on-year increase of 800.000 scheduled seats

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory: city and region publishes a new report on the Destination Barcelona tourism activity forecast for October.

Below are the main conclusions of this new edition of the report:

• Air capacity in Barcelona for October is estimated to be 6,4 million seats (+6,5% year-on-year). Additionally, there are 16,2 million programmed seats for the fourth quarter, which represents a year-on-year increase of 5,3%. By the end of October, flight frequency for the Dubai and Shanghai routes will be increased.
• It is expected that during the month, 125 cruise ships will arrive to the Port of Barcelona, above the same month in 2024 and consolidating the annual maximum.
• The cultural and leisure agenda will stand out for the large number of cultural and creative activities available, such as the modernist days in Cardedeu (03/10-05/10), Canet de Mar (10/10-12/10) and the Colònia Güell (17/10-19/10), the Barcelona Design Week (07/10-17/10), the International Fantastic Film Festival in Sitges (09/10-19/10), the European Heritage Days throughout the destination (10/10-12/10) and the 48h Open House in Barcelona (25/10-26/10). Additionally, by the end of October, la Castanyada will be celebrated throughout the destination (31/10) and the Witches’ Ball will be celebrated in Viladrau (31/10).
• In terms of the conference and fair calendar, there are 43 confirmed congresses and 34.000 delegates in October. The most prominent event will be the Intermodal Europe 2025, which could attract around 10.000 attendees.
• In October, Belgium, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom will enjoy midterm vacations. Furthermore, the Golden Week will take place in China in the first week of the month.
• In the past month, the most common Google searches for Barcelona have been slightly below the ones in the same period for 2024. The most popular searches in Barcelona city are still Sagrada Familia. Among the rising searches, the Basilica of Our Lady of Mercy stands out, possibly because of its 250^th anniversary since its construction, or because of the festivities of la Mercè.
• Hotel bookings in the past month have been led by the domestic market especially in Barcelona region, where they represent over half of the total reservations. In Barcelona city, the United States continues to lead the international market, whilst for Barcelona region it has been France. 6 out of 10 bookings have been couples’ trips.
• Currently, the level of reservations for the upcoming months are similar to the previous year in Barcelona city and above the previous year in Barcelona region.
• Compared to other European destinations, Barcelona city will have a similar level of hotel bookings as Amsterdam. It will also be higher than Paris, but lower than Berlin, Madrid and London. Barcelona region is significantly below the aforementioned.

More information: Tourism Activity Outlook Report for Destination Barcelona (2025-X)