In this article we study the social media used by tourist businesses to attract visitors to Barcelona (Catalonia). The methodology used is a quantitative method that converts the object of the study into numerical data, with emphasis on the measurable objective. A quantitative questionnaire was prepared. The multiple choices questions are an instrument for obtaining data and are used to gather the information needed, such as facts, opinions, and trends. The data collection was carried out for 4 months in 2015 with a final sample of 494 participants. The conclusion is that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Foursquare are the types of social media used mostly by young people,and gender does not influence their use. However, the degree of use of Google+,Linkedin, TripAdvisor and Booking has no significant relationship among them,considering such variables as age and gender.