Barcelona's business model would not be sustainable without the spending by metropolitan visitors and the tourism they generate, which together account for 46% of the city's retail business, according to the report Importance of the visitor economy of the Barcelona metropolitan region to re-economize the center of Barcelona, commissioned by the Union of Tourist Commercial Hubs, Barcelona Oberta.
More specifically, the volume of purchases made by residents of the metropolitan region in the city is essential, where they annually leave about 3.9 billion euros, which represents 28% of the annual business of the entire commercial sector, close to 13.8 billion euros (12.7% of Barcelona's GDP), with data from 2019. Transferred to the labor market, this percentage corresponds to more than 25,000 jobs out of a total of 98,000 provided by the sector.
The impact of metropolitan visitors on the city of Barcelona not only affects commerce: for every three euros in purchases by non-residents of the city, one euro of spending in restaurants is induced, since more than half (54%) of consumers from outside the city, who visit it to spend a minimum of three hours shopping, pass through a restaurant establishment. It stands out that six out of ten visitors from the metropolitan region travel to the city between two and three times a month. That is, not only do those who work in Barcelona go shopping, but 60% travel to the city during the weekend. This would demonstrate why 77% of purchases correspond to fashion retail and 35% to fresh produce, for example; while 93% spend on restaurants.
In the case of tourism, the Barcelona Oberta study specifies that it leaves a turnover of 2.4 billion euros for commerce, 18% of the total business. Finally, purchases by Barcelonans amount to 7.5 billion euros, representing just over half of the city's retail turnover (54%). "This shows that the 15-minute city is a subject we have passed, because city residents have a good and accessible commercial offer close to their homes," specified Roger Gaspa, managing partner of RBD Consulting Group, the company responsible for preparing the study.
Risks for an attractive city
The study shows that Barcelona's centrality trade ---"typical of Europe's main cities," highlights Gabriel Jené--- has significant appeal for consumers from outside the city, whether they are residents of the metropolitan region and the rest of Catalonia or foreign visitors, but it also warns that accessibility cannot become an obstacle, "a hindrance to mobility," said the president of the Barcelona Oberta association, which represents 21 commercial areas of the city.
In this regard, among the conclusions of the report, a call for consensus with the administrations and, in particular, a demand for the Barcelona City Council because the urban policies it is implementing, which prioritize sustainability but directly affect mobility without taking into account the possible impacts on the city's economy, be reversed or, at least, that consensus be sought before carrying out certain actions.
For his part, Roger Gaspa spoke of the "emotional disconnection" that is occurring between residents of the municipalities surrounding Barcelona and the capital, and attributes it, especially, to the weakness of public transport and the limitations on mobility caused by the urban policy of the council. Currently, 50.8% of metropolitan visitors travel to Barcelona by private vehicle due to problems associated with the existing public transport model and offer, which worsens as the distance from the city increases. They also have complaints about the difficulties of access with a private car and the time it takes to arrive and find parking.
In this context, as a conclusion, 71% of residents of the metropolitan region say that it is increasingly difficult to go shopping in Barcelona and 58% of shoppers state that they would stop coming to the city of Barcelona if they could not access it with their private vehicle.