Catalonia welcomes record 3.5 million foreign tourists in Q1 2025, up 6.39% 

In the first three months of 2025, Catalonia received 3,583,660 international tourists, a record for the first quarter of the year, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). 

The figures, based on provisional data from the latests Frontur (Tourist Movements at Borders) report, represent a 6.39% increase compared to the same period in 2024. 

Catalonia saw a record month of March, with 1,370,270 tourist arrivals, up 1% from March 2024. February also saw growth, and January marked the first time more than one million tourists visited Catalonia in that month. In March, the average tourist spent €220 per day, compared to €206 a year earlier. 

From January to March, Catalonia was the second most visited region in Spain, following the Canary Islands, which received 4.3 million tourists (a 2% increase). Andalusia came in third with 2.5 million visitors (up 7%). 

In March, Catalonia accounted for 21% of all foreign tourist arrivals in Spain, second only to the Canary Islands, which drew about a quarter of all visitors with 1.5 million. Only Catalonia, the Canary Islands, and Andalusia surpassed one million foreign tourists that month. 

However, even though more people visited, they stayed for shorter periods. The average length of stay in Catalonia in March dropped nearly 11% compared to the previous year, from 5.35 days to 4.78. This is among the shortest averages recorded, just slightly higher than in 2017 (4.68 days) and 2018 (4.63 days). 

Spain as a whole welcomed 6.6 million foreign tourists in March, a 4% increase compared to the same month in 2024. The United Kingdom remained the top source of visitors, with 1.2 million tourists (up 4%). The average for daily spending also rose to €188, up 5% year-on-year. Altogether, Spain received over 17 million foreign tourists in the first quarter of 2025, 5.7% more than during the same period last year.