Easter boosts tourism activity in April

The Barcelona Tourism Observatory: city and region presents the analysis of the main monthly indicators monitoring tourism activity corresponding to April 2025 in Destination Barcelona. When comparing year-on-year data of this article, it is important to notice that Easter holidays in 2025 took place in April, whereas in 2024, in March.

Below are the main conclusions, by geographic area, highlighting the most relevant aspects of this update:

Barcelona city

• Hotels and guesthouses accounted for 675 establishments and more than 87,000 operational beds, exceeding both March and the same month of the previous year (+0.6% Var. 25/24 in bedplaces).
• Demand for hotels, guesthouses, and Homes for Tourist Use (HTUs) increased compared to the previous month in terms of tourists and overnight stays, due to the effect of tourism seasonality and the Easter holidays. Also, when compared year-over-year, the number of tourists increased (+15,7% Var. 25/24), yet the average length of stay was shorter (from 3.0 nights in 2024 to 2.8 in 2025), which led the number of overnight stays grow at a lower rate (+5,5% Var. 25/24).
• By type of accommodation, the average stay was 2.5 nights in hotel establishments and 3.4 nights in HTUs. Meanwhile, the occupancy rate in hotels, which was higher than in the previous month, stood at 72.5% (-0.9 pp Var. 25/24), while in HTUs, it stood at 66.9% (+6.6 pp Var. 25/24).
• At Barcelona Airport, there were 4.9 million passenger movements, meaning a +4.2% year-over-year increase. The ranking of countries from which passengers arrived on flights to Barcelona Airport was led by Spain, followed by Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France.
• At the Port of Barcelona, there were around 402,000 cruise passenger movements, more than double the number from the previous month, and 147,000 ferry passenger movements. In both cases, this also represented a year-on-year increase in activity (+45.7% and +24.5% Var. 25/24, respectively).
• Regarding the origin of tourists, in hotel establishments, the proportion of international visitors was 86.2%, ahead of the previous month (+5.4pp). The ranking of tourists in this type of accommodation was led once againg by residents of the USA (14.5% share), followed by residents of Spain (13.8%), the United Kingdom (7.5%), adn Italy (7.2%).
• The typical tourist in Barcelona¹ during this month was a 37-year-old traveler, most commonly visiting as a couple (42.0%). Those who traveled for leisure reasons accounted for 7 out of 10 travelers, while those who traveled for professional reasons came in second place, at 17.7% (-31.3pp compared to the previous month).
• This shift in tourist motivation directly impacted the average expenditure during their stay, which in the city saw a significant decrease compared to the previous month (-32.5%). However, spending not only remained above €100 per person per day, but also increased year-on-year (+3.8%), marking the highest ever recorded for the month of April in the city.
• Spending during the stay in the city was primarily allocated to food and beverages (44.4%), followed by shoping for clothes, footwear, and others (18.7%), and entertainment, leisure, and culture (18.7%).
• Regarding the labor market, in April, new hiring in the core tourism sector decreased compared to the previous month, but permanent contracts meant 2 out of 3 new ones and registered unemployment in the tourism activity was quite lower than in the same period in 2024 (-3.0% Var. 25/24).

Barcelona region

• The operational supply of tourist accommodation in Barcelona region also increased month-on-month due to tourism seasonality and the Easter holidays (+24.9%). Including hotel establishments, campsites, and rural tourism, there was a total of 72,400 available places, representing a +1.8% increase compared to the same month of the previous year.
• For the same reasons, tourist demand also grew significantly in these types of establishments compared to the previous month (+56.3% in overnight stays). On a year-on-year basis, this growth was +6.6% in the number of tourists, and thanks to an increase in the average length of stay (from 2.5 nights in 2024 to 2.7 nights in 2025), overnight stays rose by +14.5%.
• By type of accommodation, campsites once again recorded the longest average stay (4.0 nights), followed by hotel establishments (2.4 nights) and rural tourism (2.7 nights). In terms of occupancy rates, hotel establishments registered 58.4% in bedplaces (+2.3pp Var. 25/24), campsites, 50.9% (+8.0pp Var. 25/24), and rural tourism, 19.8% (+2.2 pp Var. 25/24).
• 59.7% of tourists in hotel establishments in Barcelona region were international, a higher proportion than in the previous month (+8.9pp).
• The typical tourist in Barcelona region during this month¹ was a 46-year-old individual who traveled for leisure (58.4%) and as a couple (52.%). Although these two variables remained the most frequent compared to the previous month, it is worth noting that their share increased by +11.7 and +13.0 pp, respectively.
• As in the case of Barcelona city, the average expenditure during the stay, which stood at €41.4 per person per day, decreased month-on-month (-13.8%), likely due to the increase in tourists travelling for leisure purposes. Moreover, in this case, spending also declined year-on-year (-15.7% Var. 25/24). Taking into account the data for Barcelona city, the average expenditure in Destination Barcelon was €79.4 per person per day (+1.6% Var. 25/24).
• Expenditure during the stay in Barcelona region was mainly allocated to food and beverages (67.8%) and shopping for clothing, footwear, and other items (13.1%), and internal transportation (10.8%).
• Hiring in the tourism activity in Barcelona region, also decreased compared  year-over-year, but 6 out of 10 new contracts were permanent and registered unemployment decreased by -3.8% year-over-year.

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

More information:

Summary of tourism activity in Destination Barcelona – April 2025

Tourism activity interactive report