The document analyzes tourist behavior in Barcelona through a study of 42,600 photos uploaded to Flickr from 2010 to 2011, focusing on popular attractions, visitor patterns by nationality, and the impact of weather on tourism. Key findings include that Plaça Catalunya is the most photographed location, with significant concentration of tourists in the Ciutat Vella district and varying preferences based on nationality. The study highlights the effect of weather on tourist movement, revealing that rainy days lead to visits to indoor attractions while hazy days result in increased photos taken at waterfront areas.

2. The Project .................................................................................................................................... 3
About the data analyzed ............................................................................................................... 3
Methodology ................................................................................................................................. 3
Key issues ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Plaça Catalunya is the centre of Barcelona, for real ................................................................. 5
Japanese, they love Barça ......................................................................................................... 5
If it’s Thursday you’d better not go to Park Güell ..................................................................... 5
Nightlife is the last name of the Port Olímpic ........................................................................... 5
Hazy fog means amazing pics of the waterfront ....................................................................... 6
When it gets cold let’s take a walk to Montjuïc ........................................................................ 6
Plaça Catalunya is the centre of Barcelona, for real ..................................................................... 7
Japanese, they love Barça ............................................................................................................. 9
If it’s Thursday you’d better not go to Park Güell ....................................................................... 10
Nightlife is the last name of the Port Olímpic ............................................................................. 11
Hazy fog means amazing pics of the waterfront ......................................................................... 13
When it gets cold let’s take a walk to Montjuïc .......................................................................... 13
Data 1.0 on Barcelona’s tourism ................................................................................................. 15
Data 1.0 vs Data 2.0 .................................................................................................................... 16

3. In our cities, especially in touristic cities such as Barcelona, we constantly see tourists with their
digital cameras, taking photos everywhere. We all know where they usually concentrate,
Sagrada Família, Park Güell, Camp Nou or just in Las Ramblas. But do we know if they change
their routes and plans on a rainy day, on Wednesdays or during sunny spring afternoons? We
would like to give answers to this type of questions through the analysis of pics taken by tourists
in Barcelona and uploaded to Flickr accounts. We believe that identifying certain behavior
patterns might be interesting to evaluate the location of new businesses, to better target tourism
services or just to improve the mobility and signalization of touristic spots. But we are also
interested in the impact of tourism on the city, not just its economy but on its public spaces, on
the quality of life of their neighborhoods and also its neighbors.
 Universe: tourists in Barcelona (7,133,524 in 2010 according to Turisme de Barcelona).
 Sample: 42,600 pics uploaded to 5,483 Flickr accounts (tourists) between March 1st
2010 and March 1st 2011.
 Margin of error (with p=q=50% and a confidence interval of 95%): 1.3%
Data sources: Flickr, Weather Underground
NOTE: this sample is based on single unique users, whilst the universe shows total number of
tourists, but we have to take into account that for each pic uploaded there is usually more than
one tourist behind.
This study was based on the Flickr API, which allowed us to obtained more than 150,000
photos geolocated in Barcelona between March 1st 2010 and March 1st 2011. We have
discarded those whose owner’s origin is unknown (not indicated in his/her Flickr profile). After
that refining process we kept a little bit more than 80,000 photos. The following stage was to
exclude all those profiles located in Catalonia, i.e. beyond 200km from Barcelona, as for the
purpose of this project we decided not to consider them as tourists but occasional or even

4. regular visitors. Finally, we have 42,000 photos taken by tourists in Barcelona, now the
challenge is to analyze all of them and identify their behavior patterns.
In order to analyze where tourists mostly concentrate, we drew a total of 30 polygons, those
areas considered as the top tourist attractions in Barcelona. We include from Pl. Catalunya to
Sagrada Família or Park Güell, but others less known as Fòrum or even Pl. Kennedy, where
funicular to Tibidabo is taken.
Given the specific nature of the sample, it is important to highlight that conclusions that can be
drawn are conditional on the usual profile of a consumer who makes intense use of cloud
services and web 2.0, ie there is a profile of tourists visiting Barcelona that cannot be
represented in this analysis. Therefore, this is a study that focuses exclusively on Internet
heavy-users tourists, although it has to be said, they are becoming more numerous and
therefore it is gradually a more relevant sample for the whole tourism industry in Barcelona.
To compare the bias of this study regarding the reality of behavior patterns of tourists in
Barcelona, it is interesting to analyze some data 1.0, comparing it with the data 2.0 that we have
collected.

5.  Plaça Catalunya is the favorite spot for Barcelona’s tourists, as more than 14% of the
total pics where taken.
 Santa Maria del Mar and the Born area occupies second place, whilst the Sagrada
Família has to conform to fourth place.
 Tourism in Barcelona is highly concentrated in the district of Ciutat Vella, as 6 of the 10
most photographed spots are located there.
 Half of the tourist attractions account for 85% of the total pics taken in Barcelona.
 Japanese have Camp Nou as their number one tourist spot, right above Sagrada
Família.
 Both French and Spaniards have Macba as their favorite place for pics.
 Germans tend to concentrate around the Montjuïc area, especially the Olympic Ring
and the Font Màgica.
 British are not really explorers, they have Pl. Catalunya, Sagrada Família, the Cathedral
and the Park Güell as their top attractions.
 Top places for Americans are Santa Maria del Mar – Born, Boqueria and Casa Batlló.
 We can observe interesting habits among tourists, not just differentiating from
weekdays and weekends, but also between weekdays.
 In the case of Camp Nou, Wednesday is the day of the week with a higher number of
photos taken.
 Sagrada Família climbs up to 2nd position of the ranking on Wednesdays, being 14th
on Mondays.
 The number of average photos taken at Park Güell decreases more than 75%
compared with Wednesdays and 80% with Fridays.
 Tourists have it clear: when it gets dark the Port Olímpic is the place to have fun.
 Hours of most activity for tourists are those between 10am to 7pm. In these hours,
tourists tend to move around most visited spots.

6.  Sagrada Família receives largest number of visitors from 10am to 1pm; decreasing
significantly as the afternoon and evening arrive.
 1pm and 4pm are the hours with a higher number of pics taken.
 On rainy days tourists seem to look for shelter, so they prefer to move around famous
buildings, churches or museums.
 The Rambla’s area close to Liceu, reaches 2nd position from regular 11th, on rainy
days.
 In days of hazy fog in Barcelona, the area of Port Olímpic – Torres Mapfre is the most
photographed spot, more than three times those taken in Plaça Catalunya.
 Favorite spots do not understand of cold or heat, as they remain as top visited places.
 The Montjuïc area is a especially preferred spot for tourists when it gets cold.
 With average temperatures between 21 to 25 degrees, tourists tend to increase their
concentration on the Ramblas area.
 When temperature goes below 10 degrees, most interesting trend affects the Cathedral,
nd
as it climbs from general 13th position to 2 .

7. When analyzing where tourists take their photos in Barcelona, there is not a lot of margin to
surprise, at least among first places of the ranking. Plaça Catalunya is the favorite spot for
Barcelona’s tourists, as more than 14% of the total pics where taken there. For Barcelonans,
Plaça Catalunya is the emblematic center of the city, and tourists do not differ.
However, among the rest of the Top 30 tourist attractions, we find that Santa Maria del Mar and
the surrounding Born area occupies second place, whilst the major symbol of the city, the
Sagrada Família has to conform to fourth place, just behind the Boqueria’s Market.
From this analysis it is clearly observed how tourism in Barcelona is highly concentrated in the
district of Ciutat Vella, as 6 of the 10 most photographed spots are located there. Eixample is
just represented with Casa Batlló (5th position) and partly (jointly with Sants-Montjuïc) with the
Font Màgica – MNAC area (9th position).
Success of FC Barcelona seems to have a significant impact over the city’s tourists, as its
stadium the Camp Nou, is ranked on the 15th position, even above of some really popular
places such as La Pedrera (20th), Plaça Sant Jaume (21st) or Tibidabo (22nd).
In general terms, we can see how half of the tourist attractions account for 85% of the total pics
taken in Barcelona during the analyzed period. Therefore, we just confirm that the city has
tourism model featured by a high space occupation, which might have a negative impact both
over tourists and locals.
% of pics % of pics
Rank Top tourist attractions over Rank Top tourist attractions over
total total
1 Plaça Catalunya 14,1% 16 Port Olímpic - Torres Mapfre 2,6%
2 Santa Maria del Mar - Born 9,1% 17 Plaça Espanya 1,9%
3 Rambla Boqueria 7,8% 18 Castell de Montjuïc 1,4%
4 Sagrada Família 7,6% 19 Rambla Canaletes 1,4%
5 Casa Batlló 6,6% 20 La Pedrera 1,3%
6 Park Güell 6,1% 21 Plaça Sant Jaume 1,2%
7 Port Vell - Aquàrium 4,9% 22 Tibidabo 1,1%
8 Macba 4,9% 23 Arc de Triomf 0,9%
9 Font Màgica - MNAC 4,3% 24 Plaça Reial 0,7%
10 Rambla Colom 3,7% 25 Plaça Universitat 0,6%
11 Rambla Liceu 3,7% 26 Torre Agbar 0,5%
12 Anella Olímpica 3,6% 27 Hotel W Barcelona 0,4%
13 Catedral 3,2% 28 Hospital de Sant Pau 0,3%
14 Parc de la Ciutadella 2,9% 29 Plaça Kennedy 0,3%
15 Camp Nou 2,7% 30 Fòrum 0,2%

8. Tibidabo Park Güell Hospital de Sant Pau
Fòrum
Pl. Kennedy
Sagrada Família
Torre Agbar
La Pedrera
Casa Batlló
Port Olímpic – Torres Mapfre
Camp Nou
Pl. Espanya
Font Màgica - MNAC Hotel W Barcelona
Anella Olímpica
Castell de Montjuïc
Arc de Triomf
Pl. Universitat Pl. Catalunya
Parc de la Ciutadella
Catedral
Rambla Canaletes
Santa Maria del Mar - Born
Macba Pl. Sant Jaume
Rambla Boqueria
Pl. Reial
Rambla Liceu Port Vell – Aquàrium
Rambla Colom

9. One of the most interesting variables to analyze in this project of pics taken by tourists in
Barcelona is to take an in-depth look to visitors by country of origin. Through this approach, we
have been able to detect actual differences on behavior patterns depending on the nationality of
the tourist. And the most shocking conclusion is that Japanese have Camp Nou as their number
one spot, neither the Sagrada Família nor the Park Güell or Casa Batlló achieved to overcome
Barça’s home as the place where a larger number of photos was taken.
But surprises are mixed with some topics that are confirmed. For instance, French are usually
perceived as culture and art lovers, and it seems to be that way, as their number one tourist
attraction is Macba (the Museum of Contemporary Art of Barcelona). That is also the favorite
spot for Spaniards. Germans tend to concentrate around the Montjuïc area, especially the
Olympic Ring and the Font Màgica – MNAC. Canadians show another unexpected pattern, as
th
they have as second favorite spot the Parc de la Ciutadella (14 position in the general
ranking).
British are probably not really exploring lovers, as they have Pl. Catalunya, Sagrada Família,
the Cathedral and the Park Güell as their top attractions. In the case of Americans, it is
confirmed again that they like the old part of the city, its antique buildings and churches. Their
top places are Santa Maria del Mar – Born, Boqueria and Casa Batlló.

10. Despite for the most visited spots, there is no pattern on affluence depending on the day of the
week, for other attractions, we can observe interesting habits among tourists, not just
differentiating from weekdays and weekends, but also between weekdays.
If we look at the behavior of tourists spots depending on the day of the week, it is interesting to
highlight how the Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) is mostly during the weekend, including
Monday and Friday in a minor rate, but from Tuesday to Thursday, pics taken reduce
significantly. Something similar happens to another sports attraction, the Camp Nou. In this
case, Wednesday is the day of the week with a higher number of photos taken (usual day of
Champions League match), however, tourists do not seem to visit the stadium on match day, as
there is no significant variation on Saturdays or Sundays. This is mostly explained because
Camp Nou’s Tour closes earlier on match day.
Macba is another interesting case, as largest number of visits seems to concentrate on
Thursdays and Fridays. Port Olímpic – Torres Mapfre area is another case of day specialization,
rd
as visits increase on Mondays, reaching 3 place in the Top 30 ranking, being the only day that
th
hits the Top 10 (except for Thursdays when occupies 10 ).
nd
We can’t forget Sagrada Família’s pattern. This spot climbs up to 2 position of the ranking on
th th
Wednesdays, being 14 on Mondays, 6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays, third on Fridays and
th
Sundays and 4 on Saturdays.
Another classic of Barcelona’s tourist routes is the Park Güell. This attraction follows a quite
steady pattern except for Thursdays, when the number of average photos taken decreases
more than 75% compared with Wednesdays and 80% with Fridays.

11. Barcelona is well-known as a tourist destination for going out and having fun enjoying its wide
nightlife offer. Although the city offers a wide range of bars and discos at the city center
(especially at Raval, Gòtic and Born areas), tourists have it clear: when it gets dark you must go
nd
to Port Olímpic to have fun). Between 12am and 4am, this area reaches 2 place of the
th
ranking, when in the general count it occupies 16 position. During this hour range, it is also
remarkable activity around the Boqueria area of Las Ramblas and Plaça Sant Jaume.
Hours of most activity for tourists are those between 10am to 7pm. In these hours, tourists tend
to move around most visited spots, without a significant change on patterns. However, if we
analyze behavior for each spot, we can see some interesting things. For example, Sagrada

12. Família receives largest number of visitors from 10am to 1pm; decreasing significantly as the
afternoon and evening arrive. Same pattern is observed with other ticket attractions such as
Casa Batlló or Aquàrium.
Tourists tend to concentrate at Camp Nou between 1pm and 4pm, and also between 7pm and
10pm, in this last case due to matches. The Font Màgica at Montjuïc also has 7pm to 10pm as
a rush hour; in this case it is likely to be explained by the fountain lights show.
If you want to avoid tourists’ concentrations, then you’d better not go to any of the top
attractions between 1pm and 4pm, as these are the hours with a higher number of pics taken.
But there is another option to walk around the city in a more relaxed way: to do it between 4am
and 7am.

13. Tourists come to visit and see Barcelona’s favorite places and they do so no matter what the
weather is, however, on rainy days they seem to look for shelter, so they prefer to move around
rd
famous buildings, churches or museums. On a rainy day, Casa Batlló climbs to the 3 place of
th
the Top 30 ranking, coming from 5 in the general ranking.
nd
Something more significant happens to the Rambla’s area close to Liceu, reaching 2 position
th th th
from regular 11 . Barcelona’s Cathedral also climbs from 13 to 9 on rainy days. However,
Plaça Catalunya remains as number 1 spot, despite decreasing the percentage that represents
from the total.
In any case, the most surprising pattern is not found when rain appears, but when hazy fog
does. In these rare days in Barcelona, tourists seem to be attracted by the magic of the
combination of fog and the waterfront, as the area of Port Olímpic – Torres Mapfre is, with a
large difference, the most photographed spot, more than three times those taken in Plaça
Catalunya.
When taking a look at the average temperature analysis, as usual, favorite spots do not
understand of cold or heat, as they remain as top visited places. However, some of the less
common attractions are somehow impacted by the temperature of the city.

14. The Anella Olímpica (Olympic Ring) is one of the most interesting cases of temperature
conditioned behavior, as it grows significantly when temperature moves from 11 to 15 degrees.
th th
This spot reaches 5 position in the Top 30 ranking, when in the general analysis ranks 12 .
The Font Màgica – MNAC area, Castell de Montjuïc and Plaça Espanya, despite at a lower
level, experience the same growth when this temperature is given. So, it seems that the
Montjuïc area is a especially preferred spot for tourists when it gets cold.
When springtime comes, with average temperatures between 21 to 25 degrees, tourists tend to
increase their concentration on the Ramblas area. But when the heat rises up, apart from the
beaches (not included in this analysis) they are seen at Port Vell – Aquàrium area.
On its part, the Sagrada Família follows a mid to low temperature pattern. Largest number of
photos was taken when temperature was between 16 and 20 degrees, but also shows
concentration when temperature is even colder, between 11 and 15 degrees.
Finally, those rare days when temperature goes below 10 degrees, most interesting trend
affects the Cathedral, as it climbs from general 13th position to 2nd, just behind Pl. Catalunya.

15. Visitors to places of interest in Barcelona (Source: Turisme de Barcelona)
Rank 2010
1 Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família 2.317.349
2 CosmoCaixa Barcelona 2.128.453
3 L’Aquàrium de Barcelona 1.660.261
4 CaixaFòrum Barcelona 1.552.110
5 Castell de Montjuïc 1.371.355
6 Museu Picasso 1.369.187
7 Museu F.C. Barcelona President Nuñez 1.311.638
8 Telefèric de Montjuïc 1.182.528
9 Fundació Joan Miró 1.102.558
10 Parc Zoològic de Barcelona 1.054.885
11 La Pedrera de Catalunya Caixa 1.022.887
12 Poble Espanyol de Barcelona 936.455
13 Museu Nacional d’Art Catalunya (MNAC) 897.179
14 Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (MACBA) 746.592
15 Casa Batlló 673.786
16 Museu d’Història de Barcelona. MUHBA 653.707
17 Palau Robert 506.357
18 Museu Marítim de Barcelona. MMB 432.002
19 Casa-Museu Gaudí (Park Güell) 412.054
20 Parc d’Atraccions Tibidabo 402.009
21 Fundació Fran Daurel 392.193
Centre de Cultura Comtemporània de Barcelona
22 359.964
(CCCB)
23 Funicular del Tibidabo 352.763
24 Tramvia Blau 310.721
25 Temple d’August. MUHBA 307.026
26 Museu d’Història de Catalunya 306.256
27 Museu Egipci de Barcelona 305.128
28 Arts Santa Mònica 264.572
29 Museu de Cera de Barcelona 198.972
30 Disseny HUB Barcelona. DHUB 198.778
In bold those included in our Top 30 tourist attractions

16. Credit card spending by countries (Source: Barcelona Turisme)
Opinion about different aspects of Barcelona (on a scale 1 to 10) (Source: Barcelona Turisme)
Percentage of tourists by country of origin (Source: Barcelona City Council, Flickr)