Final figures for July show that Catalonia welcomed close to 2.7 million visitors, surpassing last year's records and marking a new high since 1999. This growth is largely attributed to international tourists, who numbered over 1.8 million, a 3.1% year-on-year increase. Catalonia and Spain's perception as safe destinations has bolstered this trend, especially amidst instability in other markets.
Domestic tourism also saw more moderate growth, with nearly 896,000 visitors from other parts of Spain, a 1.1% increase compared to July last year. However, this figure falls short of the record 950,000 domestic tourists recorded in July 2023.
The Barcelona province was the main driver of this growth, attracting approximately 1.5 million visitors, a 5% year-on-year increase. International tourism was key, with 1.15 million foreign visitors, a 7.1% rise. Conversely, domestic visitors to the Barcelona region decreased by 1.8%.
The Tarragona province recorded a slight increase of 0.7% in July, reaching 470,000 visitors. This area saw a rise in domestic tourists (up 3.5%), while international visitors decreased by 2.4%.
In Girona, the number of visitors remained almost stable, nearing 640,000. The province experienced a 3.2% drop in foreign tourists, offset by a 6% increase in domestic visitors.
In contrast, the Lleida province suffered a 9.2% decline in tourist numbers, settling at 90,260 visitors. Both foreign and domestic visitors saw reductions in this region.
