Tourism, from promotion to success management

With its brand well established internationally, Barcelona is a regular on the rankings of the world's best cities to visit. Its architectural heritage, cultural offerings, the Sagrada Família, restaurants, Barça, beaches... the Olympic Games, and the political commitment to position the city as an international destination marked a turning point in the 1990s and the beginning of a continuously growing activity—except for the pause caused by the pandemic—reaching 26.1 million visitors and 15.3 million overnight stays by 2024. Tourism now represents 14% of GDP and employs around 150,000 people, but its impact on urban spaces, the commercial and residential fabric, and mobility has generated a widespread consensus: the city has reached the limit where tourism activity is beneficial. In this context, the City Council has strengthened the instruments available to govern the phenomenon and has designed new measures, such as high-traffic areas (EGA). Read also The tourist tax has increased sixfold since 2019 and now exceeds 106 million euros. Sara Sans The need to prioritize the management of tourism activity to improve its balance with the daily lives of Barcelona residents has been reflected in the Government Measure for Tourism Management (2024-2027). While in the 1990s, under the leadership of Pasqual Maragall, the creation of Turisme de Barcelona, a unique public-private entity to promote the city and encourage tourism, sparked the interest of cities around the world, Barcelona now stands as a leader in the design and implementation of measures to govern tourism. Starting this summer, day visitor buses will pay an average of 20 to 80 euros. The process began a decade ago with the drafting of the Special Urban Plan for Tourist Accommodation (PEUAT), the creation of the Consell de Turisme i Ciutat (City Council of Tourism), and the 2020 Strategic Tourism Plan. It now continues with the EGAs (Educational and Urban Development Plans). The first step in their implementation has been to define the urban areas around the areas with the greatest influx of people in order to design a coordinated and cross-cutting response and define an action plan with specific measures for each area. A total of 15 EGAs have been identified, eight of which are predominantly tourist-related and seven that also record high occupancy and saturation of public space at specific times and are primarily with resident populations (Camp Nou, the waterfront, Glòries, Montjuïc and Poble Sec, Rambla de Poblenou, Parc del Forum and Sant Antoni market). The eight predominantly tourist-oriented EGAs are Park Güell, Sagrada Família, and Rambla-Boqueria-Gardunya (priority areas with an action plan in place); a second package includes Turó de la Rovira and Plaça Catalunya-Passeig de Gràcia (whose action plan is currently being drafted); and, finally, the Gothic-Cathedral, Barcelona, Sant Pere i Santa Caterina-Born EGAs, which will be addressed starting next year. High traffic areas Delimited areas where specific management is applied 1 16 areas where visitor activity impacts the environment. Planned to be allocated between 2024 and 2027. The items include actions in public spaces and their use, mobility or data management. 44 MILLION Once the density of each EGA was quantified—Barcelona's average is 1,687 tourists per km2; Ciutat Vella and Barceloneta register 14,177, and the Eixample, 6,551—a specific action plan was designed based on the unique characteristics of each space. The document incorporates specific needs and interventions. In the case of Sagrada Família, for example, the plan includes everything from redevelopment work around the temple with a new plaza on Carrer Marina, to changes to bus stops, the organization of neighborhood-focused events, and the reinforcement of civic agents. The Trias House, inside Park Güell Ana Jimenez Park Güell and its surroundings One neighborhood, one park, and 3.8 million visitors After the Sagrada Família, Park Güell is the second most visited space by tourists. In 2024, a total of 4.4 million people entered the park. Of these, the vast majority—87%, equivalent to 3.8 million visitors—purchased tickets, while only 13% (572,000 people) entered for free because they were residents or users of the Gaudir Més. Between 2023 and 2027, the City Council plans to invest a total of €39 million in the management and maintenance of this entire space, both in improvements inside and outside the park, and in the measures established by the EGA Park Güell to minimize the impact of intense tourist activity on the neighborhood. The investments come from ticket revenue, which has been regulated by BSM since 2013. The initiatives range from improvements to facilities—be it lighting, Wi-Fi, or the irrigation system—to the expropriation of Casa Trias, a new technical center for park services, the acquisition of La Miranda, the rehabilitation of the park's surroundings, and mobility measures, such as reinforcing the V19 on Saturdays and holidays. The project Performance in Park Güell and its surroundings 2 It encompasses all the actions to minimize the impact of tourism in the area. Investment until 2027 will be invested 25.4 million in the park and 13.6 outside 39 MILLION One of the cross-cutting measures related to the EGA is the new Bus Zone 4.0, which will begin rolling out this summer. The goal is to regulate the arrival and movement of day-trip visitors, most of whom come from the Costa Brava or the Costa Daurada. Not surprisingly, 216,406 operations were recorded last year. The new model, developed by BSM, involves advance route planning and a fare of €35 to use the Bus Zone on the requested day. The new system requires a reorganization of stops and the implementation of surveillance systems. With this, the City Council estimates that the average daily cost of a bus will go from €20 to €80, bringing €4 million to the municipal coffers, three million more than previously. The design and development of the EGA action plans and a large portion of the measures they include are funded through the tourist tax. In 2024, Barcelona received a total of €106.5 million. Of this, €88 million comes from the 50% of the amount the Generalitat (Catalan Government) pays to the City Council, and €18.5 million from the municipal surcharge. This, in addition to projects to counteract the effects of mass tourism, other initiatives have been implemented, such as €100 million in funding for the air conditioning of 117 schools. Read also The Sagrada Familia will be "a new Taj Mahal in Europe" for Asian tourism. Justo Barranco Another action the City Council is carrying out is negotiating with the port—the fourth largest cruise ship passenger movement in the Mediterranean (3.6 million in 2024)—to reduce the number of terminals (currently seven) and the impact of this activity on the city. Other measures implemented to regulate the impact of these cruise ships, which currently number seven, are also being implemented.