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

@barcelonaturismjwcarnes@barcelonaturisme.com