Tourism

Destination Barcelona has taken this event to renew its Biosphere Platinum certification (which recognises sustainable tourism) while also receiving the Smart Tourism Destination certification from Segittur.

This Wednesday, the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, took part in opening the city’s stand at FITUR. the international tourism trade fair currently taking place in Madrid. The stand, with the slogan “Barcelona, a sea of experiences” and shared between the Barcelona Tourist Consortium and Barcelona Provincial Council, is focused on the 37th America’s Cup, which the city will host this year. Also taking part in the inauguration were the Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; the Chair of the Barcelona Tourist Consortium Executive Committee Executive Committee, Jordi Clos; the Chair of Barcelona Provincial Council, Lluïsa Moret; and the Catalan Government’s Secretary of Business and Competitiveness, Albert Castellanos. The City Council’s delegation also included the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance, Economic Promotion and Tourism, Jordi Valls.

Mayor Collboni stated during the inauguration of the city’s stand that “Barcelona has rekindled its ambition to host major international events,” citing the America’s Cup as an example. He emphasised that the Catalan capital will be the “only city in the world” to have organised the three sports events with the greatest international impact: the World Cup, the Olympic Games, and now the famous yachting race. “This is proof of Barcelona’s undeniable appeal but also of the importance of tourism as an economic driver,” underlined the Mayor.

Collboni added that this “success story” is thanks to the existence of a “unique model” that has combined public and private collaboration since the creation of the Barcelona Tourist Consortium in 1993. It emphasises sustainability and management as inseparable elements of the brand. “We are proving that we can attract a higher quality form of tourism,” he said. The Mayor, acknowledging that Fitur is a “magnificent opportunity to showcase the best of Barcelona to the world”, highlighted the city’s undeniable appeal including its gastronomy, architecture, culture, and the congress and trade fair activity that makes the city the second most important European destination in this sector.

With 11.1 million tourists staying in hotels, tourist apartments, and hostels between January and November 2023, amounting to 33.3 million overnight stays, Barcelona continues to lead overnight stays by international tourists in Spain. The United States, France, Italy, and Germany are the principal foreign countries of origin, although according to the Barcelona Tourist Consortium’s figures, Spain is the largest source market for Barcelona, with a market share of 17.4% of all the tourism the city receives.In fact, tourism represents 14% of the city’s GDP, and in this context, the economic indicators associated with tourism are showing record results. For example, hotel profitability has exceeded 140 euros, a figure that is 25.3% higher than that of 2019.

These figures reinforce the local authority’s commitment to managing tourism in a sustainable manner while, at the same time, increasing the social return for citizens. In fact, the City Council has various projects underway to decentralise the tourist offering, at a time when tourists themselves rate the city with an average score of 8.64 out of 10. Meanwhile, the Tax on Stays in Tourist Establishments (IEET) is expected become the third-largest source of Barcelona City Council’s income.This will lead to an annual revenue of nearly 100 million euros, which will be subsequently allocated to improving tourism management and increasing social returns. One example is the Climate Plan aimed at installing green air conditioning systems in 170 city schools.

Recognition for Barcelona

In addition to the 2024 America’s Cup, this year’s edition of FITUR has also provided an opportunity for Destination Barcelona to renew its Biosphere Platinum certification. This recognition acknowledges not only the public administration’s commitment to ensuring that businesses make sustainable efforts but also that this commitment has been adopted as an inherent responsibility, driving the implementation of the advocated best practices. Barcelona, in fact, was the first urban destination to achieve Biosphere certification in 2011, and since then, it has renewed it every year, by meeting not only the environmental requirements but also the socio-cultural and economic ones. Without going further, in 2023, the Biosphere seal was awarded to 486 tourism operators in the city. When combined with certified entities throughout the province, the total number of Biosphere certifications in Destination Barcelona exceeds a thousand.

FITUR has also provided the stage for the State Company for Managing Tourism Innovation and Technologies (Segittur) to certify Barcelona as a Smart Tourism Destination. This recognition, announced a few days ago, assesses Barcelona’s level of maturity as an innovative tourist destination, with a cutting-edge technological infrastructure ensuring sustainable development, accessibility for all, and facilitating the interaction and integration of visitors with the environment.