This statistic displays the number of tourists staying in hotels in the city of Barcelona in Spain from 1990 to 2017. Around 8.9 million tourists staying in hotels in the city in 2017, representing a slight increase from the previous year, but an overall increase of over 7 million people since 1990. The number of international tourists visiting Catalonia also increased over the period, reaching around 19 million in 2017.
Barcelona is the second most populous city in Spain and capital city of Catalonia. As a tourist destination, Barcelona is one of the most popular in Spain as well as Europe. Worldwide the city ranked as the 25th most visited city based on international arrival figures in 2015 and 6th among European city destinations in 2017. That year overnight tourists arriving in Barcelona spent around 18.8 million nights in the city.
Tourism in Spain
Travel and tourism plays an important role in the Spanish economy, with the industry having a major impact on economic growth and employment. In 2017 the tourism sector made a total contribution of around 172.9 billion euros to GDP in Spain and a total employment contribution of 2.84 million jobs.
The country is split into autonomous communities, of which Catalonia is the most visited by international tourists, followed by the Canary Islands and the Balearic Islands. Key international markets visiting Spain include the United Kingdom, France and Germany.
