The turnover of tobacconists in the province of Girona reached 1.029 billion euros in 2025, a figure that consolidates the expansion of a business influenced by its geographical location, tourism, and price differences with France.
Data reveals a notable acceleration in recent years: turnover rose from 739 million in 2023 to 906 million in 2024, exceeding the billion-euro mark the following year. In just two years, tobacco sales revenue grew by nearly 40%.
Comparing with a decade ago, the increase is even more significant. In 2015, tobacco sales generated 503 million euros in Girona. Ten years later, turnover has more than doubled, with an accumulated increase of 105%, primarily due to increased tobacco taxation.
Girona ranks as the third province in Spain for tobacco sales, after Madrid and Barcelona. This imbalance between population and sales is largely explained by consumption linked to tourism and cross-border trade, as the province receives millions of visitors annually.
The revenue increase is not solely due to price hikes. In 2025, over 156 million cigarette packs were sold in Girona, compared to 104 million in 2019, a 50% increase in six years. Although current volume is lower than at the beginning of the century (over 200 million packs in 2005), it confirms a trend reversal after years of decline.
Tobacconist activity is not confined to the high season. Weekends, long weekends, and school holidays also drive travel to the Costa Brava and other areas of the province, benefiting tourist establishments.
The most significant differentiating factor is the proximity to France. A pack of cigarettes in the French market costs around 13.5 euros, more than double than in Spain, where many brands sell for between five and 6.5 euros. This difference makes it attractive for French consumers to travel to the Alt Empordà to buy tobacco.
La Jonquera is the clearest example of this phenomenon. The municipality has become a major cross-border commercial hub, with establishments largely catering to customers from France. Tobacco is a key draw, alongside fuel and food products.
Despite having fewer than 4,000 inhabitants, La Jonquera has an exceptional concentration of tobacconists. Seven existing establishments were joined by ten new licenses granted by the State, bringing the total to seventeen authorized points. Offers for these concessions reached between five and seven million euros.
