Barcelona reinforces the attraction of congresses with a three-million fund

Congress and meeting tourism has been one of the sectors most affected by the pandemic. The return of the MWC this summer after the cancellation of 2020 allowed the first stone of recovery to be laid, awaiting its grand return next year. In fact, 2022 is marked on Fira de Barcelona's agenda as a litmus test to see if the effects of the coronavirus are finally left behind. To ensure it passes with flying colors, the Barcelona City Council will allocate three million euros to reinforce the attraction of new international congresses and events and the loyalty of those already held in the Catalan capital, an amount that can be expanded with contributions from other public or private institutions.

According to the first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, the city expects to register a historical record of events in the coming years, with 150 fairs and professional meetings already confirmed, a figure that may increase with the 90 candidacies in which the city is immersed. The initiative presented this Thursday will cover expenses that congresses already held in the city or some that are considering it will have to face, which will be assumed by Turismo de Barcelona, as well as carrying out actions that help attract new events.

To select which congresses will receive this support, priority will be given to those linked to sectors considered strategic by the city council, such as digital, creative industries, life sciences, green economy, or logistics, and that have a certain dimension, preferring those that bring together more than 500 people and involve overnight stays. This extraordinary program will be managed by the Barcelona Convention Bureau of Turismo de Barcelona, which already allocates 1.7 million euros annually to promote this type of meeting. It will have the support of various involved agents, such as Fira de Barcelona and B:SM.

Another factor that will be taken into account will be the capacity of these events to leave a legacy in the Catalan capital, as the Mobile has done through the Mobile World Capital Barcelona (MWCapital). "Barcelona would not be the technological hub it is now without the MWC," Collboni remarked. In this sense, he defended the potential that a newcomer to the city, the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), a trade show specialized in the audiovisual sector that aims to have dimensions similar to those of the Mobile, can have. The ISE, like the MWC, held a small edition this summer and also awaits February of next year for the return to fair normality. While awaiting its grand premiere in Barcelona, the ISE has already begun to leave its mark on the city, collaborating with the Llum BCN lighting festival or in the new incubator for creative industries that will be in Palo Alto.

A sector that generates around 1.9 billion

The contribution of meetings, incentives, congresses, and exhibitions (MICE) tourism in Barcelona is very significant, generating around 1.9 billion euros and representing 19.7% of all tourist activity in 2019. With these figures, the city ranks fourth worldwide as a congress organizer and first as a destination that is not a capital, according to the ranking of the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).

According to data from the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, it is estimated that this type of professional tourist can spend up to 115 euros daily during their stay. This, without taking into account accommodation, is 51.8% more than the visitor who comes to Barcelona for holidays or leisure. If accommodation is added, this amount rises to 64.9% more than the leisure visitor. It also contributes to destigmatizing and decentralizing tourist activity.