Barcelona: A Convention Powerhouse Confronting Overtourism Challenges

The head of the Barcelona Convention Bureau was delighted that the city hosted record numbers for PCMA’s Convening EMEA, with 636 in-person attendees. This is a significant increase from last year’s event in Copenhagen, which attracted 550 and almost triple the attendance of the 2019 PCMA European Influencers Summit, also held in Barcelona.

Yet, this was only one of 28 conventions in the city in September, not to mention the likely many unaccounted-for corporate meetings.“We will be very close this year, 2024, to breaking the record number of attendees and number of events,” said Tessmar.

In the meantime, the America’s Cup is putting the city in front of millions of viewers on TV and online and giving sailing fans an additional reason to visit the Catalan capital. Tessmar says the competition has transformed the city’s two harbors. Attracting the America’s Cup competition required significant financial investment from the Spanish, Catalan and city governments. He feels it was worth it, not because of any potential bump to visitor numbers, but because of how it helps show different aspects of the city.

A Popular Destination

Barcelona has long been a planner favorite, regularly holding top spots in Cvent’s destination rankings and ICCA’s association meetings rankings. At the end of each year, the city hosts one of the industry’s main trade shows, IBTM World. It also regularly hosts the gigantic MWC Barcelona (previously known as Mobile World Congress), which attracts over 100,000 visitors annually. MWC Barcelona will remain in the city until at least 2030, with an automatic two-year renewal clause for future years.

Barcelona’s impressive offering has convinced convention organizers to relocate large conventions from other European cities. The ISE audiovisual show moved from Amsterdam, the ICE gaming show from London, and the Seafood Expo Global from Brussels. Next year, Vitafoods will move from Geneva, and Label Expo will move from Brussels.

Each convention attracts over 50,000 attendees and more than 1 million square feet of exhibition space. Best of all, they are all looking to grow in Barcelona. These multi-year contracts will bring millions in revenue to the city, particularly its venues and hotels.

The Overtourism Challenge

The city’s cultural appeal also brings challenges, with overtourism making the headlines worldwide. While other destinations are keen to increase tourism income, Barcelona is too popular for its own good, and the residents are not shy about it.

The city is looking for solutions to address what it considers unwelcome tourism. One of the main unwanted groups is Rowdy tourists staying in low-cost, short-term rentals. 

Tessmar sees this as a sustainability issue that goes far beyond conversations around recycling and minimizing events' carbon footprint. “Our goal is to communicate better because there is a lack of communication to explain the benefits [of business tourism].”

He and his team are sitting at the table with the city government and representatives of local communities at a tourism and local environment council. “It’s really difficult to find a balance, but we’re trying, we’re working on it, and these meetings are the best way to connect with the neighborhoods in the local communities.”

One outcome of these dialogues has been the decision, a good one for Tessmar, to ban short-term rentals in Barcelona starting in 2028. “We have the politics aligned, we have a new organization CEO also aligned, so we are on the right way.”

Elitism Perception Is Also an Issue

Business tourism, including meetings and conventions, has long made its case as high-value, and Tessmar is working with local communities to showcase the benefits of these guests. Still, one issue that cannot be easily solved is that higher-value tourism must be supported by higher-end hotels and luxury services, which can contribute to a higher cost of living and alienate residents. 

Despite efforts like hotels promoting their dining options and rooftop bars to locals, Tessmar acknowledges this elitist perception is a tough challenge. “Our goal is to communicate better because there is a lack of communication to explain the benefits [of business tourism].”

Focusing on the Positive Impact of Meetings

Reducing events' carbon footprint is one of the many things Tessmar assures the city’s venues are considering, but the Barcelona Convention Bureau does not actively promote it. Instead, conversations with clients are increasingly focused on impact and legacy. 

Tessmar highlights the recent ESMO Congress 2024, the largest European oncology congress, which drew a record attendance of more than 33,000 people. Beyond the numbers, the congress brought several clinical trials to Barcelona, which can improve patients' quality of life.

Another highlight is Barcelona’s Parkinson’s Ready Program 2023, a legacy of the 6th World Parkinson Congress held in July 2023. This initiative used the knowledge of Parkinson’s disease specialists attending the congress to help 310 public-facing and customer service staff to improve their understanding of Parkinson’s disease.

Barcelona Tourism will soon launch a legacy and impact study that Tessmar sees as a critical document to showcase the city’s dedication to ensuring the positive impact of business tourism.

The Future of Conventions in Barcelona

As the Barcelona Convention Bureau celebrates its 40th anniversary, Tessmar guarantees that conversations with potential clients are no longer about Barcelona’s fantastic climate and tourism appeal, nor are they about the number of hotel rooms and convention space. They’re about growing attendance and adding value to organizers and to the city.

Legacy is also something that Tessmar is considering as he enters the final acts of his career. The German leader of the organization for almost 13 years wants to be remembered for shifting the conversation from numbers to legacy and even solving challenges around overtourism. “Hopefully, we can solve this image of the overtourism, poor quality tourism so that it’s not always Barcelona in the headlines. That would be a dream.”