Tourism

In the tourism sector, the European Union’s Next Generation funds, a coordinated response to address the economic and social consequences of the pandemic, were not allocated to companies or industry organisations but to destinations. Catalonia has 55  sustainable tourism destination plans coordinated by the Government of Catalonia’s Directorate-General for Tourism.

To monitor the progress of the plans across Catalonia, a working session was held on 2 April at La Pedrera auditorium, with the participation of the Catalan Government Minister for Business and Employment, Miquel Sàmper, and the Spanish Minister for Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, along with mayors and other authorities from municipalities and local institutions benefiting from the funds. The session presented the current status of the 55 sustainable tourism plans in Catalonia, confirming that with a total budget allocation of over 200 million euros, 48.3% of the plans have already been implemented.

In Barcelona’s case, the City Council secured nearly 41 million euros in December 2022 through a competitive process to fund its Barcelona Destination Sustainable Tourism Plan (PSTDB). This is the highest amount awarded to any plan in Spain, obtained following a competitive selection process.

Barcelona’s PSTD includes 19 projects, all of which are scheduled for completion by May 2026. More than 50 steps (mainly tenders and contracts) must be implemented to carry out the plan. At this stage, Barcelona has already completed 50.78% of them, meeting the targets and timeline set.

Barcelona City Council is implementing the projects together with other municipal management bodies, including Barcelona Municipal Infrastructure (BIMSA), Barcelona Municipal Services (BSM), the Municipal Institute of Parks and Gardens of Barcelona, the Barcelona Institute of Culture, Barcelona Water Cycle, the Barcelona Tourism Consortium, and the Besòs Consortium.

Sustainability, competitiveness, and digitalisation of the sector

Barcelona’s sustainability plan contributes to the fight against climate change, focusing on improving energy efficiency, promoting sustainable mobility, and supporting the green transition of tourism activity.

It enhances the competitiveness and sustainability of the city’s tourism sector. The plan also promotes the digitalisation of tourism management and promotion for the Barcelona destination, following principles of diversification, decentralisation, and year-round activity.

The plan builds on the work carried out by Barcelona in recent years to transform and diversify its tourism model, helping to establish the city as an urban tourism destination that meets sustainability, equity, and quality standards.