This statistic shows the number of international tourists visiting Spain in 2017, by the destination region visited. That year Catalonia received the highest number of international tourists at approximately 19 million visitors, followed by the Canary Islands and the Balearic islands.
Overall international tourism volumes in Spain have been increasing in recent years, with the total number of inbound visitors measuring around 115.7 million in 2016. Catalonia contributed to this growth with significant rises in international tourist numbers in 2015 and 2016. Growth in visitor spending in the region has also shown strong results, as international tourism expenditure in Catalonia was recorded at over 17 billion in 2016. In terms of domestic tourism, Catalonia is also one of the most visited regions in Spain, along with Andalusia and Valencia.
A major contributing factor to tourist volumes in Catalonia is its capital city Barcelona. The 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.
