The 2023 edition of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) has generated an economic impact of 461 million euros in Barcelona throughout the year. This is according to the GSMA, the association organizing the event, which this Friday presented the economic balance of the global mobile congress for the entire year. This is the first time that the GSMA has presented a study of this type, and it was done by the entity's CEO, John Hoffman, accompanied by the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, in the Saló de Cent of the City Council. The GSMA has raised the MWC's economic impact in the Catalan capital to 5.8 billion euros since the congress began in 2006.
The executive assured that the 2023 impact figures "have far exceeded" the GSMA's estimates ---when the congress closed, the organizer indicated that the event had generated more than 350 million and already stated that it would recalculate the figure upwards---. Asked about what the economic impact includes, Hoffman detailed that it encompasses the money the event leaves in hotels, restaurants, transport, museums, and shops, among others. As he explained, the figure is slightly below the 2019 edition (at that time, the GSMA said upon closing the MWC that the impact was 473 million), reports ACN.
The balance presented this Friday also indicates that during 2023, the MWC created 9,100 part-time jobs. Regarding visitors, of the 88,500 in the last edition, Hoffman highlighted that around 20% were CEOs of companies. "It means that Barcelona was the place to be to do business," said the GSMA CEO.
In relation to the global impact of the MWC since the congress has been held in Barcelona, in 2006, the GSMA estimates that 150,000 part-time jobs have been generated. Hoffman assured that the mobile congress and the Catalan capital "are on a truly solid joint path." "Barcelona is our home," he concluded.
Good prospects for 2024
Asked about the 2024 edition and the possibility of it surpassing the record figures of 2019, Hoffman assured that the organizer "is crossing its fingers." "We are seeing a lot of interest, ahead of the projections we had," he said. However, he asked to go beyond the numbers. "We should not only look at the people who come, but who comes, company executives with decision-making power," he pointed out.
Hoffman also highlighted that the last Thursday of the congress "historically" is the day with the most VAT-free purchases in the State, known as the Tax Free service, which he attributed to the mobile world congress.
For his part, the mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, assured that the MWC is a "shared success" between the GSMA and the Catalan capital. "It has undoubtedly very clearly marked what is the economic model we want for our city, companies that generate stable jobs with a future, which is what the technological sector assures us," he expressed.
Add The New Barcelona Post as your preferred Google source for free
Stay informed with the latest news.
