Barcelona vs San Sebastián

Barcelona leads San Sebastián by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 65 to 64. Barcelona grades better on 13 measures, San Sebastián on 8; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.

Scores by each organisation's criteria

• CIRA Index: Barcelona 65, San Sebastián 64
• OECD: Barcelona 65, San Sebastián 61
• UN Tourism: Barcelona 66, San Sebastián 67
• UNDRR: Barcelona 70, San Sebastián 56

Theme by theme

• Demand and seasonality: Barcelona 71, San Sebastián 58
• Economy and jobs: Barcelona 58, San Sebastián 83
• Climate and hazards: Barcelona 60, San Sebastián 60
• Water and environment: Barcelona 69, San Sebastián 75
• Community and housing: Barcelona 45, San Sebastián 65
• Access and continuity: Barcelona 75, San Sebastián 53

Where Barcelona is stronger

• Nights in the three busiest months: 29.8 % of annual nights (INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) / Idescat, Encuesta de Ocupación Hotelera, 2024). At or below 30: grade 4/4.
• Largest foreign market: 12 % of international arrivals or nights (INE, foreign tourists by municipality and country of residence (mobile-phone positioning, table 52048), 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
• Average length of stay: 2.6 nights per visitor (Observatori del Turisme a Barcelona: ciutat i regió (OTB) / UN Tourism INSTO, 2023 Progress Report, 2023). Between 2.2 and 2.8: grade 2/4.
• Hotel bed or room occupancy: 80.1 % average annual occupancy (Gremi d'Hotels de Barcelona, Valoració tancament any 2025 i perspectives 2026, 2025). At or above 75: grade 4/4.
• Flood hazard: low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 3/4.
• Municipal waste per resident: 444.3 kg per resident per year (metro figure) (Àrea Metropolitana de Barcelona (AMB), 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
• Green space: 35 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (European Environment Agency (EEA) / Climate-ADAPT, 2024). Between 30 and 40: grade 3/4.
• Resident support for tourism: 59.6 % of residents who say tourism benefits them or the city (Observatori del Turisme a Barcelona (OTB) / Ajuntament de Barcelona, 2024 Barcelona Tourism Activity Report, 2024). Between 50 and 60: grade 2/4.
• Access redundancy: 4 independent ways in: international airport, intercity rail, port, motorway (Port de Barcelona / Aena / Renfe / Mitma, 2026). At or above 4: grade 4/4.
• Rail traffic recovery: 141.2 % of 2019 long-distance rail passengers, latest year (Ministerio de Transportes, Observatorio del Ferrocarril en España 2024, passengers by city 2019 and 2024, 2024). At or above 120: grade 4/4.
• Largest airline group share: 44.7 % of airport passengers carried by the largest airline group (Aena, detailed traffic statistics (passengers by airline, route and country), Sep 2025 – Aug 2026). Between 40 and 55: grade 1/4.
• Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Ajuntament de Barcelona - Àrea d'Economia i Promoció Econòmica, 2024–2026). Grade 2/4.
• Dedicated tourism funding: A dedicated source partly ring-fenced for residents, infrastructure or sustainability (Generalitat de Catalunya / Ajuntament de Barcelona (Llei 2/2026; Fons de Foment del Turisme), 2026). Grade 3/4.

Where San Sebastián is stronger

• Domestic share of nights: 34 % of nights by residents of the same country (Donostia San Sebastián Turismoa, Observatorio Turístico - Balance 2025, 2025). Between 25 and 35: grade 2/4.
• Recovery against 2019: 111.7 % of 2019 visitor nights reached in the latest full year (Donostia San Sebastián Turismoa & Bilbao Turismo / Eustat, 2025). At or above 110: grade 4/4.
• Unemployment rate: 6.3 % of the labour force (Fomento de San Sebastián / Eustat, Barómetro Económico 2024, 2024). Between 5 and 8: grade 3/4.
• Tropical nights: 12.2 nights a year with a minimum at or above 20°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). Between 10 and 30: grade 3/4.
• Water scarcity: very low (region figure) (World Bank GFDRR ThinkHazard, current (retrieved 2026)). Grade 4/4.
• Wastewater safely treated: 100 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (metro figure) (Mancomunidad de Aguas del Añarbe / Añarbeko Urak, 2024). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
• Cruise pressure: 0 cruise passengers in the busiest month per resident (Puertos del Estado, monthly port traffic summaries ("Cuadros resumen", cruise passengers incl. home port and transit), 2025-06). At or below 0: grade 4/4.
• Rent growth: -4.8 % change in rents over the last 12 months (idealista, August 2025 – August 2026). At or below 3: grade 4/4.

Country context (World Economic Forum)

• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
• Spain: #3 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026

Barcelona in full · San Sebastián in full

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