Catalan hotels see record two million visitors in October

The number of visitors staying in Catalan hotels exceeded two million for the first time in any month of October.

In total, 2,094,477 people stayed in hotels during the month.

In addition, there was a new record of total overnight stays set in any month of October this year, with 5,417,015. This represents 3.74% more compared to the same period a year ago.

This is according to provisional data from the Hotel Tourism Situation of the National Institute of Statistics (INE), with data since 1999.

Catalan hotels saw 8.18% more visitors in October compared to the same month the year before, driven especially by growth of visitors from other parts of Spain.

Meanwhile, foreigners, who represent almost 70% of the total, increased by nearly 7%.

The average stay of visitors in October was 2.59 days, 4% less than a year ago (2.7).

The occupancy rate per accommodation place rose one percentage point, up to 60.64%.

On the other hand, the average daily rate dropped by almost 4%, standing at €123.93, the second-lowest rate of the year, behind obly January (€119.09).

By area, Barcelona recorded the highest prices, with an average of €186.31, followed by the Barcelona coast with €83.15 per night.

The Costa Daurada and the Costa Brava closed October with average prices of €78.16 and €76.90, respectively.

Catalonia was the second most visited destination for residents in Spain in October, accounting for nearly 13% of all overnight stays. Among foreign visitors, it ranked third, with 17% of total stays.

Across Spain, overnight stays also rose by 1.3%, surpassing 34.2 million in October. Stays by domestic travelers increased by 0.5% year-on-year, while those by international visitors grew by 2%.

Tourists from the UK and Germany were the most numerous, making up 26% and 19% of all overnight stays, respectively.