Parc Güell sees 4.4 million visitors in 2023, up 6%

Parc Güell, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Barcelona, saw 4.4 million visitors in 2023, an increase of 6% compared with the previous year.

Of these, nearly 500,000 were residents of the city and accessed the park through the neighborhood card available to locals, but the profile of the majority of visitors is a foreign visitor between 25 and 34 years old.

According to a press release from Barcelona City Council, a quarter of visitors come to the park because they consider it "an iconic space" of the Catalan capital, while the rest are motivated to "discover the architecture" of Antoni Gaudí, who designed it.

The council also pointed out that 8 out of every 10 tickets are sold in advance through the official website, a measure that they say favors "fluid and orderly access" to the park.

A total of 83% of the tickets sold last year were bought in advance; a figure that increased to 95% during the summer months.

Currently the park only allows a maximum capacity of 4.5 million visitors per year to "preserve the heritage space and promote a more sustainable and responsible tourism model," which guarantees "coexistence with the neighborhood and school uses."

Initially, access was regulated only to the monument zone of Parc Güell, but since 2020, the entirety of the park has had its access regulated.

The council aims to "promote the balance between tourist uses and those of the locals" of the park. This is why the latter have exclusive use of the space in specific time slots, as well as a card that gives them access during opening hours to the public.

Half a million Barcelona residents visited the park last year, 37% more than the previous year.

Almost 600,000 students from more than 2,600 schools participated in the educational program 'Parc Güell and the schools'. Of these, 85% were done for free, while the rest were guided.