For the first time, Barcelona exceeds 7.5 million hotel guests

For the first time ever, over 7.5 million tourists stayed in one of Barcelona’s hotels in 2013. More specifically, the Catalan capital welcomed 7.571,766 visitors in its hotel rooms last year, meaning a 1.77% increase on 2012, when Barcelona’s hotels accounted for 7.440,113 guests. 80% of visitors are foreigners, mainly from France, the UK and the US. Besides, this increase in the number of hotel guests  is not the only record achieved last year. Indeed, the number of overnight stays has also reached an unprecedented number, with almost 16.5 million overnight stays registered in 2013, a 3.4% growth on 2012 figures.   

Buying postcards in Barcelona's Les Rambles (by ACN)
Buying postcards in Barcelona's Les Rambles (by ACN) / ACN

ACN

March 6, 2014 08:10 PM

Barcelona (ACN). - For the first time ever, over 7.5 million tourists stayed in one of Barcelona’s hotels in 2013. More specifically, the Catalan capital welcomed 7.571,766 visitors in its hotel rooms last year, meaning a 1.77% increase on 2012, when Barcelona’s hotels accounted for 7.440,113 guests. 80% of visitors are foreigners, mainly from France, the UK and the US. The latest figures also amount to an increase by 11,000 tourists per month for the whole year. Besides, this increase in the number of hotel guests  is not the only record achieved last year. Indeed, the number of overnight stays has also reached an unprecedented number, with almost 16.5 million overnight stays registered in 2013, a 3.4% growth on 2012 figures. According to the Executive President of Barcelona Tourism Board (Turisme de Barcelona), Joan Gaspart, the city’s “touristic strength lies within the plurality of markets faithful to the Catalan capital, [ …] which send an increasing number of tourists each year”. He added that “the growth in mature markets such as France and the UK, as well as the development of expanding markets, such as China, Scandinavia and Russia is particularly significant”.  


Barcelona welcomed 7.571,766 hotel guests in 2013, representing a 1.77% increase on the previous year. The number of overnight stays has also risen from 15.931,932 in 2012 to 16.485,074 last year, meaning a 3.47% increase.

Out of these 7.5 million visitors, 80% were foreigners. The 6,054,388 foreign visitors represent a 4.1% increase on 2012 figures. However, the number of Spaniards has decreased, reaching 1,517,378 people, which represents a 6.4% drop.

France is the top source market for hotel guests, followed by the UK and the US 

France replaced the United States as the first source market for hotel guests, a ranking it had already achieved in 2010. In concrete terms, the number of hotel guests coming from France rose from 572,259 visitors in 2012 to 636,903 in 2013, representing an 11.3% increase.

The number of visitors from the UK, in second place, grew from 592,713 in 2012 to 629,969 in 2013, amounting to a 6.3% increase. The United States come in third position, with 627,417 hotel guests in 2013. All three main source markets have each exceeded the 600,000 mark, an unprecedented situation.

Growth in the number of guests from Germany, Scandinavia and Asia

Germany has become the fourth source market for hotel guests for the very first time in 2013. The number of German visitors rose from 414,539 in 2012 to 453,102 in 2013, amounting to a 9.3%, increase.

Among the other countries to have registered a significant growth are Sweden which accounted for 152,622 tourists, an 11.1% increase on 2012; Norway with 113,409 visitors and a 23.1% increase and Finland, with 66,798 guests and a 20.7% increase. The number of Japanese visitors reached 170,092, a 4.4% increase while Chinese tourists amounted to 73,906, a 16% increase. Russian also registered a 22.1% increase in the number of hotel guests.