Girona, 17th January 2023

The province of Girona received 8.4 million tourists, who generated 26.4 million overnight stays in 2022, improving on the figures for the 2019 season.

In 2022 tourist activity fully recovered despite the many uncertainties and unexpected events occurring around the world. The Costa Brava Girona Tourist Board presented the results of tourist activity in the Costa Brava and the Girona Pyrenees during 2022 based on data from a report published by the Observatory of the Eurecat Foundation’s Department of Tourism Innovation on the TDS platform. In 2022, the province of Girona received 8,399,791 tourists, 6.2% more than in 2019, who generated 26,476,861 overnight stays, representing an increase of 2.4% over 2019.

By tourism brands, the Costa Brava registered 7,357,483 tourists (+8.8% compared with 2019), who generated 24,235,118 overnight stays (+3.2% compared with 2019). The Girona Pyrenees received 1,042,308 tourists (-8.8% compared with 2019), who generated 2,241,743 overnight stays (-5.5% compared with 2019). This last figure is negative due to the COVID-19 restrictions still in place during the first quarter of the year, which had an important impact on inland and mountain destinations during the snow and ski season.

As regards the source markets, the Catalan and Spanish markets consolidated their position as the top tourist market for Girona’s destinations. Among the international markets, it is worth noting the recovery of the French market, which equalled levels from 2019, and the increase in visitor numbers from the Benelux countries, particularly The Netherlands, which was the second international market, and Germany. The UK market continued improving gradually. According to visitor origin, the Catalan market, with almost ten million overnight stays, was the number one market for the Costa Brava destination. In second position was the French market, with 4.9 million overnight stays; in third place, the rest of Spain market, with 3.1 million overnight stays; in fourth position, the Dutch market, with 2.8 million overnight stays, and in fifth position, the German market, with 1.4 overnight stays. British tourists nearly hit the million mark in overnight stays, making it the sixth biggest market for the destination.

In the Girona Pyrenees, the number of tourists by markets confirmed the weight of the Catalan market, with 1.7 million overnight stays, followed by the rest of Spain market, with 309,629 overnight stays, and in third position, by the French market, with 80,937 overnight stays.

In 2022, the province of Girona had 269,332 places available in regulated tourist accommodation divided among hotels, apartments, campsites and rural tourism establishments. Hotels received the most overnight stays during the year on the Costa Brava (with 10.9 million overnight stays), closely followed by campsites (with 10.1 million overnight stays), while the majority of overnight stays in the Pyrenees were at campsites (1.2 million overnight stays), rather than hotels (776,790 overnight stays). The peak period for annual occupation levels was in August, during which the Costa Brava reached 82%, and the Girona Pyrenees hit 72%.

Regarding the average number of nights’ stay, on the Costa Brava this was 3.3 nights, while in the Girona Pyrenees the overall average remained stable for all types of accommodation at 2.1 nights.

 In 2022, Girona-Costa Brava Airport recorded 1,313,158 users, which is a decrease of 32% over 2019, but an improvement on the figures from 2021, with more than a million extra users.

It was a notable year for the Costa Brava ports’ cruise season, as this activity resumed again after the pandemic. The ports of Palamós and Roses received a record-breaking number of stops, with a total of 63, and the arrival of 50,310 cruise passengers during the eight-month season.