Tourists continue to rate Destination Barcelona highly as employment in the tourism activity strengthens

The third capsule of the 2025 Tourism Activity Report in Barcelona, published by the Barcelona Tourism Observatory (OTB), analyses the evolution of tourism activity through four major areas: the evaluation, by both tourists and residents, economic activity and the labour market, sustainability, and meetings tourism and trade fair activity.

These are the key highlights of this new release:

The overall assessment of the municipalities within Destination Barcelona by tourists remains very positive, with an average score of 8.67 out of 10, slightly higher than the previous year. Barcelona city, with an overall rating of 8.77, stands out for attributes such as architecture, culture, and entertainment, while Barcelona region, with an average overall rating of 8.51 across its municipalities, excels in character and friendliness of the people, safety, and accommodation. On the other hand, aspects such as noise, cleanliness, accessibility, and parking continue to be the most critical points identified by tourists visiting the Destination.

Regarding public perception, those who believe tourism is rather beneficial for the city of Barcelona continue to represent the majority, with 6 out of 10 residents holding this view. This proportion has remained stable compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, in Barcelona region, those who consider tourism to be positive or very positive for Catalan society account for more than 73%, a figure also very similar to that of the previous year. In both geographical areas, the feeling that the place where they live is reaching the limit of its capacity to serve tourists has increased.

In economic terms, tourism accounts for nearly 16% of the number of companies and 12% of employment. In 2025, the tourism activity recorded growth in both the number of companies and the number of people employed, while both hiring and registered unemployment declined. This trend points to greater employment stability and lower labour turnover thanks to the new hiring regulations that came into force in 2022.

Finally, the report highlights progress in the commitment to sustainability and the strength of meetings tourism and trade fairs. The number of destinations, services, and companies holding the Biosphere Certified and Committed labels continues to grow year on year, while the number of trade fairs and meetings, being the technology sector the most frequent kind of event hold, has also increased.

More information: 2025 Tourism Activity Report in Barcelona – Capsule 3