Barcelona as a tourist city: Some insights into recent and future trends

This paper analyses the recent conversion of Barcelona into a tourist city using a variety of quantitative indicators from both the demand and the supply side. These indicators reveal the enormous growth of tourism activity in Barcelona and how this trend has transformed the city. Tourism expansion has materialized in terms of demand (including overnight and average stays) and supply (number and quality of beds, spatial distribution). Moreover, the gradual relative growth of international demand and the diversification of international origins (especially in relation with the US market) are emphasized. Such changes pose some threats to the future of the Barcelona tourism model, which require an adequate public policy response.