The MWC raised the average hotel occupancy to 88% during the days of the event's celebration, which took place between February 25 and 29. Excluding the figures left by the exhibition, February's occupancy was 73%, so the congress increased it by 15 percentage points. This is indicated by a report prepared by STR and Cushman & Wakefield, which concludes that the data recorded during the last edition of the fair confirm the recovery of congress tourism in Barcelona, which has a great weight in the Catalan capital.
This 88% occupancy was only 3% below the year that broke all congress records, the pre-pandemic 2019. Since then, the hotel offer has grown by 1.8% in the congress environment, which represents the operational peak of the year for the hotel sector. And occupancy was not the only figure that increased considerably with the event: so did the average daily price of rooms, which climbed to 350 euros, more than doubling the 145 euros it cost on average in February to stay in the city, without taking into account the days of the event.
These 350 euros on average also exceed, albeit barely, the highest price recorded to date: the 349 euros of 2019. The average daily price had its peaks on February 26 and 27, with 406 and 405 euros, respectively. In addition, revenue per available room reached 307 euros during the week of the international congress, which represents 202 euros more than the figure recorded during the rest of February. These 307 euros are only 10 euros below the 317 that occurred in 2019, when a record congress was achieved before the arrival of the pandemic. Revenue per available room for the rest of February was 106 euros, so the congress raised the figure by 190%.
The celebration of the congress represented an increase in the average daily price for all hotel categories, which doubled during the Mobile week compared to the rest of the month. Those that did so the most were 4-star and 4-star superior establishments, which increased their Average Daily Rate (ADR) by 155%. "The strength of demand during the MWC allows the industry to plan year to year and benefits all segments and types of establishments, from luxury hotels to more economical options," defended STR's Account Manager Spain, Elvira Arjona.
According to the study, the most benefited hotels were those of the middle class. These establishments, mainly three-star, improved occupancy by 2.4% and daily prices by 10%, compared to 2023. For their part, luxury and upper-middle-class hotels registered slight decreases in occupancy, which were compensated by better daily price figures. The economy class registered similar data to those of the previous edition of the congress, with a slight decrease in the average daily price but with more occupancy.
Regarding the evolution of demand during the MWC week, hotels already registered occupancy levels close to 90% on the Sunday before Mobile, and the figure rose to 94% and 95% on Monday and Tuesday. On Thursday, occupancy dropped to 87%, and in subsequent days it decreased to 72%, which was registered for the rest of February and the beginning of March outside the event. Hotel bookings to accommodate participants and attendees to the fair accelerated in both 2023 and 2024 three months before the event, when occupancies of around 45% were already registered.
One of the relevant assets of hotels is their proximity to Fira de Barcelona's Gran Via venue, which hosts Mobile. However, the luxury and high-end offerings in the center of the Catalan capital "continue to attract visitors with greater spending capacity," explains Arjona. Indeed, according to the study, hotels located less than three kilometers from the fair achieved the highest occupancy of 92%. However, their ADR is 369 euros, while establishments located within a radius of three to six kilometers from the event registered daily prices of 403 euros, albeit with lower occupancy, at 88%. This is the same occupancy rate as hotels located between six and ten kilometers away, which had average daily prices of 353 euros.
"Desire to continue growing" in congress tourism
After years marked by the effects of the pandemic, the 2023 edition already pointed to a recovery that has now consolidated, with indicators around those registered in a record-breaking 2019. This recovery of congress tourism has occurred in a scenario where some voices predicted that the sector would change to make way for more telematic formats. "During the pandemic, there were doubts about what the response of companies to events and sectoral fairs could be, but this 2024 edition has shown that professional tourism is back and eager to continue growing," said Albert Grau, partner and co-director of Cushman&Wakefield Hospitality in Spain.
The diversity and quality of the hotel offer represents "an attractive draw for organizers and exhibitors, who can cover all their demand," said Bruno Hallé, partner and co-director of Cushman & Wakefield Hospitality in Spain. According to him, "the Barcelona hotel market, as well as that of L'Hospitalet and the metropolitan area, offers a diverse and balanced offer, that adjusts to the needs of congress tourism in all its areas."