Tourism

The municipal government shared its commitment to managing tourism, ensuring its sustainability, social return and coexistence with local residents.

The City and Tourism Council (CTiC) held its first plenary session of the current term of office on Wednesday. The council was set up in 2016 as a standing body for citizen participation to promote debate around tourism and to bring together the various players involved in the city’s tourism model. On this occasion it was chaired by the Deputy Mayor for Economy, Finance, Economic and Tourism Promotion, Jordi Valls, and, as is customary, was attended by residents’ associations as well as business, union, traders, hospitality sector, social, cultural and environmental associations and experts of recognised prestige in the sector.  CTiC resolutions are not binding but they serve as the basis for political decision-making at the Full City Council meetings.

In his opening speech, the deputy mayor highlighted the CTiC’s importance and usefulness for getting everyone involved, recalling the commitment of the current Mayor’s Office to managing tourism and ensuring it is a sustainable, high quality sector that guarantees a social return and also coexistence with local residents. Valls reminded everyone the sector’s economic importance –14% of the city’s GDP, employing 150,000 people– but also pointed out the risks and costs it generates that need to be governed, given that the growth rates seen in recent years are not sustainable, and now the priority needs to be reducing the negative effects of tourism and redistributing its benefits. The deputy mayor also emphasised the fact that this is a global challenge and held Barcelona up as an example of a city capable of offering innovative solutions to improve coexistence.