International tourist arrivals in Spain 2020, by destination region

In 2020, despite the pandemic of COVID-19, Catalonia was the most visited region by international tourists in Spain one more time. This Spanish autonomous community ranked first thanks to the arrival of nearly 3.9 million visitors from abroad, closely followed by the Canary Islands. The Balearic Islands, traditionally among the top 3, ranked fifth on this occasion behind Andalusia and the Region of Valencia.

Catalonia's contribution to the national tourism sector

Before the outbreak of COVID-19 in March 2020, international tourism volumes in Spain had been increasing year after year, with Catalonia's contribution passing the 19-million mark in years 2017, 2018 and 2019. Given the significant drop in arrivals in 2020, visitor spending in the region also plummeted by over 80 percent, as international tourism expenditure in Catalonia was recorded at just 3.6 billion. In terms of domestic tourism, Catalonia is also one of the most visited regions in Spain, along with Andalusia and Valencia.

A tourist magnet called Barcelona

A major contributing factor to tourist volumes in Catalonia is its capital city Barcelona. Spain's second most populous city is also one of the most popular destinations in Europe, ranking among the leading European city destinations by number of international arrivals. Since the celebration of the Olympic Games in 1992, Barcelona's top attractions have received millions of visitors, the Sagrada Familia church ranking first year after year.