The challenges and solutions related to tourism in BarcelonaJORDI WILLIAM CARNES, CEO OF BARCELONA TURISME
Balancing visitors and inhabitants
Reykjavik, 8th April 2015
Table of contentsTHE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS RELATED TO TOURISM IN BARCELONA
Background Challenges Solutions Considerations Key issues
Background
Barcelona in the worldTourists from 1993 to 2014International touristsSummer 2014. First crisis of the tourism model and its public perception
Background
Barcelona in the world
Background
Tourists from 1993 to 2014
2,455,249
7,874,941
02.000.0004.000.0006.000.0008.000.000
10.000.000
1993 2014
+ 220,7%
Source: Turisme de Barcelona (from 2010 with Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona).
108 milion tourists
(1993-2014)
Background
International tourists from 1993 to 2014
+ 208,4%
Source: Turisme de Barcelona (from 2010 with Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona).
1,509,978
6,256,934
1993 2014
Background
Summer 2014. First crisis of the tourism model and its public perception
Incidents with naked young people in La Barceloneta Touristic apartments Traffic-clogged streets because of Tourist Buses in Sagrada Família
ChallengesA new vision of urban tourismConcentration of tourism in certain areasRegulation of new types of accommodation
Challenges
A new vision of urban tourism
Tourism as an engine for growth Tourism as generator of employment Contribution to citizen welfare Give voice to different sectors concerned
Challenges
Concentration of tourism in certain areas
Management of public space Regulation of tourist flows in real time Mobility Coexistence between tourists and locals
Challenges
Regulation of new types of accommodation
Security and customer protection (complaints book, customer care, etc.) Safety in the city (registration of people staying with ID data, passports,
etc.) Taxation (contributing to the maintenance of public services and avoiding
unfair competition) Transparency (must be included and registered)
Solutions
City CouncilPositive experiencesDebateBarcelona TurismeCity Council and Barcelona Turisme
Solutions
City Council
Decentralization of tourism (new plan of districts: to deliver economic
activity to other areas of the city and relieve the pressure on the center) Monitoring of new forms of tourist accommodation and collaborative
economy (new municipal powers and a new penalty system) Tourism and the city: encouraging a new local agreement to manage and
promote responsible and sustainable tourism
Solutions
Positive experiences
Park Güell (masterpiece of Gaudí and UNESCO World Heritage) Entrance fees (7€) have reduced overcrowding and improved the
management of visitor flows Improving the experience of tourists More economic resources that improve tourist services
Sagrada Família Regulation and management of buses that lead visitors to the
temple Is it enough?
Solutions
Debate
Is it the time to charge a fee to regulate the traffic of buses that lead
tourists staying at coastal towns to the city center?
Solutions
Barcelona Turisme
Focus the promotional action in new areas of the city (Horta, Montjuïc, etc.) Barcelona Tourist Bus: tourists distributed throughout the city New guided tours in little known neighborhoods of touristic interest Smart City: use technology (Big Data) to regulate tourist flows
Solutions
City Council and Barcelona Turisme
Promotion of the touristic wealth of the whole province of Barcelona
(Montserrat, Sitges, Vic, Catalan Pyrenees, etc.) Actions to avoid touristic saturation points during the summer Reinvest the revenue obtained from the touristic fee Move towards a real decentralization of tourism Show the economic and social benefits of tourism for the locals
Considerations
Considerations
Tourism is an engine of wealth for cities
Barcelona needs tools to regulate tourism impact and avoid
coexistence problems
Sectors concerned (taxis, restaurants, service companies) should
participate in the public debate
Transformation of residential homes into touristic apartments
contemplates a modification of the city’s use plan. How should the
city react?
Key issues
Key issues
Tourism has transformed our vision of the world
Cities are the largest laboratory of human relations
Our responsibility is to find the right balance between tourist
satisfaction and the pride in belonging of the inhabitants of our
cities
Thank you!www.barcelonaturisme.com