Cruise ships

Economic impact of cruises

The cruise industry is key to the tourism sector in Barcelona and Catalonia and has established itself as an important economic activity for the city that receives the greatest impact from this business.

The contribution of cruise ships

The contribution of cruise ships to the economy of Barcelona and Catalonia is distributed among different sectors to which it provides economic stability. And not just in the tourism industry. The role of the Port of Barcelona as a base port for passenger ships contributes enormously to attracting investment in business and infrastructure and promotes, for example, the increase in international connections at the airport.

The economic contribution in figures

The cruise industry generates 1,083 million euros annually, some 3 million per day, and contributes 562 million directly to Catalonia's GDP. Furthermore, this sector generates approximately 9,000 jobs in Barcelona and its surroundings, and only 60% belong to the tourism sector. Another fact to take into account is that cruise passengers spend 230 euros a day in the city, more than the average for other tourists in Barcelona. In fact, a non-cruise tourist spends an average of 70 euros a day. When starting or ending the route in Barcelona, cruise passengers spend in hotels, restaurants, shops or tourist attractions.

Economic impact report

Institutional collaboration

For the success of the cruise industry and its contribution to our economy, the collaboration that the Port of Barcelona has with the Turisme de Barcelona consortium and other public and private institutions is essential. The different organisations have been able to make the necessary investments both in the port and in the city to satisfy the demand of cruise ships and their passengers with different products that complement the work of the Port of Barcelona, such as the creation of a wide range of hotels and services.

Barcelona tourism