Barcelona wants to eliminate some cruise ships but, for the time being, it continues to be a magnet for tourists arriving by sea. According to data from the Port of Barcelona, between January and July 2025, 2.15 million cruise passengers have docked in the city, representing an increase of 12% over the same period last year. If the trend continues, the Catalan capital could repeat a new record this year.
Not all passengers get off the ship, but of those 2.15 million, around one million cruise passengers visited the city, 10.4% more than in 2024.
In total, passengers passing through the Port of Barcelona during the first seven months of the year, including cruises and ferries, amounted to 3.07 million people, 8.1% more than in 2024. By destination, movements to the Balearic Islands have risen slightly, by 0.6%, while trips to Italy have fallen by 12.1%.
More tourists, less goods
While tourism is growing, cargo traffic in the port has registered a slight drop. Between January and July, the total volume fell by 2.4% compared to last year, to 40.9 million tons.
Containers transported were 6% less, affected by the reduction in transshipment operations and uncertainty in global trade. In this context, vehicle exports fell by 3.8%, and containers destined for the United States grew by only 0.9%.