The challenges and solutions related to tourism in Barcelona JORDI WILLIAM CARNES, CEO OF BARCELONA TURISME Balancing visitors and inhabitants Reykjavik, 8th April 2015

THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS RELATED TO TOURISM IN BARCELONA Table of contents THE CHALLENGES AND SOLUTIONS RELATED TO TOURISM IN BARCELONA Background Challenges Solutions Considerations Key issues

Background Barcelona in the world Tourists from 1993 to 2014 International tourists Summer 2014. First crisis of the tourism model and its public perception

Background Barcelona in the world

Background Tourists from 1993 to 2014 + 220,7% 108 milion tourists (1993-2014) + 220,7% Source: Turisme de Barcelona (from 2010 with Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona).

Background International tourists from 1993 to 2014 + 208,4% Source: Turisme de Barcelona (from 2010 with Gremi d’Hotels de Barcelona).

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

Challenges A new vision of urban tourism Concentration of tourism in certain areas Regulation 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 Council Positive experiences Debate Barcelona Turisme City 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? Font: INSETUR (Universitat de Girona) per a l’Ajuntament de Barcelona (2012) i AQR (Universitat de Barcelona) per al Pla Estratègic de Turisme de la Ciutat de Barcelona (2007).

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 @barcelonaturism jwcarnes@barcelonaturisme.com