In 2023, Barcelona skilled a restoration within the MICE (Conferences, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) phase after the setbacks attributable to the pandemic. Skilled tourism is gaining momentum and nearly accounts for 19% of the whole variety of guests to Barcelona, equal to roughly three million company vacationers yearly. Nevertheless, this proportion remains to be barely decrease than pre-pandemic ranges (19.7% in 2019).
In accordance with the Barcelona Tourism Observatory (OTB), the skilled customer is predominantly male, aged between 25 and 64, extremely educated, and extra more likely to journey alone than different vacationers. Roughly 75.7% of company vacationers are males, whereas 24.3% are girls.
Concerning age teams, most guests to Barcelona are between 25 and 34 (33.2%) and 35 to 44 (31%). Following this group are these within the 45-54 age group (21.5%), 55-64 age group (7.9%), under-24 age group (4.9%), and people aged 65 or older (0.7%). Moreover, many guests have a college diploma (88.2%).
Furthermore, MICE guests have a tendency to go to Barcelona extra regularly than conventional vacationers. Nearly 70% of MICE guests return to Barcelona, in comparison with 48.5% of typical vacationers. Company vacationers often journey with others (56.6%), though a excessive proportion additionally journey alone (43.4%) to Barcelona, in response to the OTB. This group additionally has a lot increased day by day expenditures than conventional vacationers. On common, MICE vacationers spend €260.7 per day, whereas different vacationers spend €175.9 per day.
Barcelona is a In style MICE Vacation spot
In 2023, Barcelona hosted a complete of 1,945 occasions, which included congresses, conventions, incentives, conferences, and programs with greater than 580,000 attendees. The influence of those occasions exceeded 1,000 million euros. Consequently, the town ranked first within the ICCA world rating when it comes to the variety of delegates and fourth within the variety of worldwide conferences, behind Vienna, Lisbon, and Paris. Barcelona is the one vacation spot that has constantly remained within the high 5 of the world rankings for organizing conferences for 21 consecutive years.
Over 90% of the attendees had been foreigners. Among the many occasions held within the Catalan capital, 28.2% had been attended by medical doctors, 16.2% by scientists, 15.3% by teachers, and 9.2% by folks within the know-how and telecommunications industries.
Barcelona’s Tourism is a Important Supply of Earnings
The OTB estimates that vacationers’ expenditures in 2023, excluding arrival transport, can be 9,676 million euros. That is the best worth recorded in historical past, 26.1% increased than the earlier 12 months and 14.7% increased than in 2019.
The rise in vacationer spending has positively impacted different sectors, corresponding to catering, which has skilled a 56% improve in income in comparison with pre-pandemic charges. The lodging sector has recovered 21% extra income than in 2019.
Barcelona’s Tourism Restoration
Barcelona’s tourism business has proven indicators of restoration previously 12 months, with over 12 million guests staying in vacationer lodging and nearly 36 million in a single day stays. Though this represents a 7% lower within the variety of vacationers in comparison with the historic report set in 2019, the common size of keep has elevated, leading to a 1.8% improve in in a single day stays.
Home tourism has carried out effectively, with a ten.3% improve in comparison with pre-pandemic ranges. Worldwide tourism has seen a 5.5% lower from 2019 numbers however has improved considerably from the sharp declines skilled through the pandemic. The USA and the UK have been Barcelona’s main supply markets for tourism.
