Eduard Torres, president of Turisme de Barcelona, defends that the city must take advantage of the current context to become a more sustainable destination, prioritizing visitors who are "respectful of the territory". For this reason, he proposes a public and private pact that makes it possible.
What kind of tourism does Barcelona have now? Has it changed after the pandemic?
The sector and the Barcelona brand have recovered very well. In 2022 fewer tourists came, but we had income similar to that of 2019 and this year we will recover the number of visitors but with more income. This is very positive because the contribution is greater. Spring is also consolidated as the best time of the year, with major festivals and musical events such as the Coldplay, Bruce Springteen or Beyoncé concert. The sector of fairs and congresses has also recovered really well with work such as that of the Fira, whose board of directors is chaired by Pau Relat.
Is more income obtained only because of the inflation effect or also because Barcelona has repositioned itself as a destination?
We see a triple trend. On a global scale, leisure and travel are gaining ground; logically, inflation is also weighing, and Barcelona, in this way out of the pandemic, has a schedule of congresses and cultural events that is superior to other destinations. Therefore, this means that there is more income with the same visitors. Not many more people will be able to come because the offer is limited and limited. We have to become a sustainable destination and we aspire to this visitor who is sensitive to the territory, who appreciates it and who spends as much as possible. And this does not mean that we want to be a destination only for tourism with high purchasing power. There may be different types of tourists, but be respectful of the destination.
Is the limitation of accommodation places helping this? Does Barcelona have the capacity to absorb more tourist places?
The challenge is to pay attention, not to the figures, but to the sustainability of the destination. And this implies management. The promotion of the city has been correct. Music programmers choose the city for the best concerts, the Asian market asks that the Sagrada Família, the Fundació Miró or the Museu Egipci, founded by Jordi Clos, go there to explain themselves. They want to come and they want us to go there to communicate our destiny. The current challenge is one of sustainability and this implies an agreement, a vision shared by both the public and private sectors. At this time there is an opportunity that, after all the debate that has taken place in the city on tourism, a concrete pact is produced to advance the same intention.
What should this pact be like and what functions would it have?
There is a new political stage and this pact can be generated between the different political groups of the City Council with the private sector. An agreement to decide how we manage the visitor, how we choose the tourist that we are interested in coming, and then, how we also distribute it throughout the territory. For example, cruises barely represent 6% of the city's tourism, but they occupy a lot of space in the public and media debate. And this is because, when they disembark, all the cruise passengers suddenly concentrate on the Rambla. The agreement that we propose would serve to manage their arrival and how they are distributed throughout the city.
What else should the agreement include?
Mobility policies, general figures, an adequate offer and facilities so that the hotel floor can be updated, for example. And that the Consortium begins to carry out management tasks as well. Management also needs resources. This 2023 will probably exceed the 70 million collection of the budgeted tourist tax. This money could be used to manage the destination, always seeking sustainability.
Who should lead this pact? Have you already proposed it to the mayor Jaume Collboni?
We are working on it with the government team of the City Council.
In recent weeks there have been conflicts with neighbors as a result of overcrowding, such as the case of the Carmel bunkers. How can this be managed?
Tourism sometimes takes all the negative externalities that occur. In the case of Carmel there is a tourist component, but not everything comes from there. When a place becomes a trendy party place, people here decide to go there. In this pact we should also include internal communication, understand that we cannot only take externalities, take tourism and put it on the target of all issues. The sector makes an incredible contribution to Barcelona's economy, both from the point of view of occupancy figures and the pride of the city.
