Tourism is everywhere, yet its role as a driving force across culture, the economy, society and business often goes unnoticed. In Barcelona, this is not a recent phenomenon but the result of a long-term vision that has embraced visitors as an opportunity to shape the city’s evolution and project it onto the global stage. From Joan Miró’s artistic interventions, conceived as a universal gesture of welcome, to the transformative momentum sparked by the 1992 Olympic Games.
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Cities, like fashions, come and go. “They have had their moment, and they can fall out of fashion,” warns businesswoman Maria Reig. And Barcelona — which has had its moment — is, for now, still in fashion. With 26 million visitors in 2025 and a consistent presence in rankings of the world’s best cities, the Catalan capital retains an undeniable power to attract. But success, at times, also has a less appealing side. It can become a problem.
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