Tourism activity at Destination Barcelona close to 2019 levels

In October 2022, tourism activity in Destination was close to prepandemic levels, especially in tourism demand.

Below are the key indicators for October:

• The bed supply in tourist accommodation in Destination Barcelona was very similar to 2019 levels. Despite the closure of establishments in October, more than 174,000 available beds were registered in the Destination, which meant only -0.6% below the same period in 2019.

• The number of tourists kept stable compared to the previous month in the Destination as a whole, but a reduction in the average length of stay caused the number of overnight stays to be lower than in the previous month. However, the number of overnight stays exceeded those recorded during the same period in 2019 by +0.8%, also increasing de bed occupancy rates, compared to 2019.

• In Barcelona city, not only there were more tourists registered than in September, but an increase in the average length of stay allowed the number of overnight stays to be 4% higher than in the previous month and only -1.1% lower than in 2019. In Barcelona region, on the other hand, the number of tourists and overnight stays decreased MoM and, although the number of tourists was 0.9% higher than in October 2019, the number of overnight stays was -3.5% lower.

• By type of establishment, hotel establishments in Barcelona city experienced an increase in overnight stays of +3.7% compared to 2019, while homes for tourist use experienced a decrease of -10.2%. On the other hand, hotel establishments in Barcelona region were below pre-pandemic levels in number of overnight stays (-1.35%), a fact that was compensated by the good performance of demand in campsites (+44.3% Var. 22/19) and rural tourism (+11.9%).

• At Barcelona Airport, the number of passengers kept virtually stable compared to the previous month. With almost 4.2 million passengers, 90.2% of the levels reached in the same period of 2019 were recorded, which means an acceleration in the recovery of passengers at the Barcelona aerodrome.

• As for Barcelona Port, ferry passengers decreased again MoM because of tourism seasonality, but kept higher than the same period in 2019 (+9.5%). As for cruise ship passengers, the increase in the supply of this type of transport in October caused them to be only -3.0% below the pre-pandemic levels.
• The number of visitors to cultural facilities in Barcelona city was above 228,000, slightly below the previous month (-1.6%), and -16.8% lower than in 2019. Data show that the proportion of foreigners was 6 out of 10 visitors, losing prominence compared to the summer months.
• International tourism also lost weight in hotel establishments, although it surpassed once again the domestic tourism, in both Destination Barcelona (72.4%) and Barcelona city (81.1%). 
• 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 (10.2%) achieved the second position, followed by those from the UK (8.7%), and France (7.7%).
• The average expenditure in Destination Barcelona during the stay was €65.1, below the previous month, due to an important MoM-decline of the expenditure in Barcelona region. In the meanwhile, the expense in Barcelona city grew, despite being lower than in 2019. The item to which the most money was allocated was food and beverage, and entertainment, leisure and culture increased compared to the previous month.
• In the job market, registered unemployment in tourism activity remained below pre-pandemic levels (-22.0%), and decreased by +1.6% MoM. However, the number of new contracts fell by -5.3% compared to the previous month and temporary contracts outnumbered indefinite ones for the first time since June.

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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: