A slight slowdown in tourism activity in Destination Barcelona is recorded in September

In September 2022, the evolution of tourism activity indicators in Destination Barcelona experienced a slight decline compared to previous months, especially in tourism demand, due to the inherent seasonality of tourism activity and to a slowdown in the post-pandemic recovery.

Below are the key indicators for September:

• The bed supply in tourist accommodation in Destination Barcelona was very similar to 2019 levels. Despite the closure of some campsites, more hotel establishments than in the previous month operated in both Barcelona city and region, so that more than 174,000 beds were registered in the Destination as a whole, which meant only -0.4% below the same period in 2019.
• Tourism demand was reduced on the previous month in the Destination as a whole: both the number of tourists (-12.3%) and overnight stays (-27.6%) were lower than in the previous month and the average length of stay and occupancy rates also fell in all types of accommodation.
• In Barcelona city, more than 2.7 million overnight stays were recorded (-3.8% Var. 22/19) and, in Barcelona region, more than 1.5 million (-16.6% Var. 22/19).
• The reduction in the average stay, which was particularly notable in campsites (-1.5 nights) and rural tourism (-2.8 nights), provoked that, although the number of tourists remained at -3.5% in the Destination as a whole (compared to 2019), the difference in the number of overnight stays fell back to -8.1%.
• Campsites and rural tourism establishments also experienced the sharpest decline in beds occupancy rates (-12.4pp and -29.3pp respectively compared to August), along with homes for tourist use (-11.7pp MoM)
• At Barcelona Airport, the number of passengers also fell compared to the previous month (-5.7%), breaking the upward trend that began in February. With more than 4.2 million passengers, 78% of the levels reached in the same period of 2019 were recorded, which also meant a slowdown in the recovery of passengers at the Barcelona aerodrome.
• As for Barcelona Port, ferry passengers decreased compared to August (-61.7%), but kept higher than the same period in 2019 (+5.8%). On the contrary, cruise ship passengers slightly grew (+0.7%) and remained below pre-pandemic levels (18.3%).
• The number of visitors to cultural facilities in Barcelona city was above 230,000, but still -16% lower than in 2019 and 2.7% behind the previous month. Data show that by the end of September, the proportion of foreigners, that in summer were 3 out of 4 visitors, fell at the expense of the share of Barcelona city and province residents.
• International tourism also lost weight in hotel establishments, although it surpassed once again the domestic tourism, in both Destination Barcelona (73.7%) and Barcelona city (82.3%). The most frequent international in Barcelona city were the Americans (13.3%), the British (8.8%) and the French (6.8%).
• At Barcelona Airport, the passengers on domestic flights (27.8%) kept the first position. Despite being far from the domestic flight passengers, those travelling from Italy (10.1%) achieved the second position, followed by those from the UK (9.0%), and Germany (7.5%).
• The average expenditure in Destination Barcelona during the stay was €64.5, below the previous month, due to an important MoM-decline of the expenditure in Barcelona city. In the meanwhile, the expense in Barcelona region grew, despite being lower than in Barcelona city.
• In the job market, registered unemployment in tourism activity remained below pre-pandemic levels (-14.4%), although it grew by +2.0% MoM. However, the number of new contracts grew by +37.8% compared to the previous month and indefinite contracts outnumbered temporary ones once again.

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With the analysis of the different thematic areas, which offer a transversal vision of the sector, the Observatory of Tourism in Barcelona updates the monitoring of the tourism activity. This analysis complements the monthly report on the Profile and Habits of Tourists in Barcelona Destination. All data is presented in three geographical areas: Barcelona city, Barcelona region, and Destination Barcelona.

Consult the interactive report: