Cruise activity at the Port of Barcelona in 2024 generated €1.236 billion in revenue, contributed €707 million to GDP, and created 9,511 jobs in Catalonia. Meanwhile, in the city of Barcelona – which accounts for 70% of this impact – these figures stand at €855 million in revenue, €498 million in GDP contribution, and 6,693 jobs.
This is an economic impact characterized by its transversality: 56% of the turnover and 41% of the jobs were linked to sectors not related to tourism activity.
In 2024, the Port of Barcelona recorded 2.8 million cruise passengers, a figure that translates into 3.7 million passenger movements. Of these 2.8 million people, 2.2 million (78%) visited the city.
These are some of the conclusions drawn from the study Economic Impact of Cruise Activity in Barcelona (2024), a work carried out by the University of Barcelona at the request of the Port of Barcelona and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).
The paper – presented by Jordi Suriñach , Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Barcelona and Director of the AQR-Lab Applied Economics Laboratory, together with Esther Vayá , Professor at the same University – concludes that:
Catalonia:
- Cruise activity at the Port of Barcelona generated a turnover of €1,236 million, contributed €707 million to GDP, and created 9,511 jobs, which implies:
- an economic impact of €3.4M/day.
- €436 in revenue and €249 in contribution to GDP per cruise passenger.
- Direct revenue – derived from spending by cruise passengers, crew members and shipping companies – amounted to €668 million.
- Cruise activity generated multiplier effects, amounting to €567 million in indirect and induced impact.
- The Generalitat of Catalonia received €95 million from the payment of IRPF, VAT and IEET.
Barcelona:
- Cruise activity at the Port of Barcelona – which accounts for 70% of the total impact – generated €855 million in revenue, contributed €498 million to GDP, and created 6,693 jobs. As a result:
- The economic impact was €2.3M/day.
- Each cruise passenger at the Port of Barcelona generated €302 in revenue and contributed €176 to the GDP.
- Cruise ship passengers contributed 9.1% of the total amount managed by the City Council from the IEET (50%) plus the municipal surcharge (100%), totaling €11.9 million. This contribution to the City Council's revenue more than doubles the proportion of cruise ship passengers compared to the total number of visitors to the city (4.5%).
Characteristics of cruise passengers at the Port of Barcelona based on operations
Homeport cruise passengers (embark and/or disembark at the Port of Barcelona):
- Cruise passengers of American nationality predominate (28.5%), while the weight of Americans in the overall holiday tourism of the city is 9%.
- The average expenditure per person/night for cruise passengers based in North America with overnight stays is €307 (hotel accommodation + food and drink + leisure and culture + shopping + internal transport).
Cruise passengers in transit (the Port of Barcelona is just one more stop):
- They come mainly from Europe and their spending ranges between €46 and €75 per person/day depending on nationality.
Mar Pérez, head of cruises at the Port of Barcelona , states: “This report highlights the significant economic impact of cruise tourism in both Barcelona and Catalonia as a whole, as well as its substantial tax contribution. It is crucial to recognize the catalytic role this type of tourism can play in revitalizing other strategic sectors for the city, fostering synergies that strengthen the local economy beyond the tourism sector.”
Meanwhile, CLIA's director in Spain, Alfredo Serrano, points out: “Beyond the fact that each cruise passenger generates an average of €436 in local revenue, it is noteworthy that 56% of that impact benefits sectors not directly related to tourism. This demonstrates the extent to which cruise activity boosts the entire Catalan economy, extending far beyond the tourism sector.”
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