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business model for business events should look in 10 years ’ time ( 2035 ) if as an industry we still want to be around . We need to be resilient as an industry but we also need to be competitive . We need to drive the industry … organisations , public institutions and convention bureaux to make this transition more sustainable but also more digital . That ’ s why we launched this project and asked the EU for funding ,” she said .
Automotive drive In Catalonia , the business events sector is more active than ever and has recovered well from the pandemic , according to the CCB ’ s director . Catalonia is very strong in the automotive sector ( SEAT is based in Barcelona ) and the hotel Tembo is hosting a car launch in September , for example . So , too , in sport ( football , Formula 1 , basketball , the Americas Cup , which Barcelona is currently hosting ). Food and biotech are also key MICE sectors and Barcelona is becoming more integrated into the blue economy ( ocean resources ).
In terms of revenue generation , individual spending by delegates visiting the region for congresses or business
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events is 32 % up on average on 2019 , Narcís Ferrer , the director of the Catalan Tourism Agency , told delegates at the event .
Challenges remain Of course , Catalonia wants to attract more MICE business , Serracarbassa acknowledged , but inevitably there is a flip side , namely the social impact of business events and the dangers posed by overtourism . Like Venice , Prague and Amsterdam , Barcelona is routinely cited as falling into this category , something which the authorities are well aware of and keen to address . For example , Barcelona ’ s mayor recently announced that from 2028 foreign tourists will be prohibited from renting apartments in the city ( see more on this issue on pages 38-39 ). Hence the
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Left : Meet Catalonia involved plenty of local produce and opportunities to network
Left : Meet Catalonia delegates seek some divine inspiration
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importance not only of being green and sustainable but of attracting the right type of business event that adds value by having a positive local impact , the CCB ’ s director emphasised .
Barcelona Convention Bureau ’ s Núria Muñoz who was quick to allay concerns . She explained the Catalan authorities will implement the Generalitat ’ s decree regulating tourist-use housing ( HUT ) to recover up to 10,100 apartments for residential rather than holiday use , and that all HUTs will disappear five years after the decree comes into effect . However , as Barcelona has a wide range of hotels and tourist apartments ( regulated by the Apartur association ), she said the measure will pose no problems in terms of the ability to accommodate visitors .
Buyer feedback Mike Mahoney , the managing director of FC Sport Experiences Ltd , was full of praise for the Meet Catalonia 2024 event , telling CMW : “ With golf , wellness , and football pitches onsite , and a popular destination for cycling , Hotel Camiral was the perfect location for the first part of Meet Catalunya as it provides a great platform for a wide range of incentive programming .
“ Our educational trip to Costa Dorada provided plenty of inspiration . From a sustainability perspective , dining almost exclusively on locally sourced produce was not only a responsible choice but guaranteed that we were offered meals prepared with the freshest of ingredients .
“ Our visit to Tarragona allowed a brief history lesson and the city ’ s Roman past is brought to life with its amphitheatre and the remains of its arena as well as the walls and ruins around the city centre .
“ Catalonia has so much to offer and is a treasure trove of possibilities for meeting and event planners . There is no doubt that delegates to an event in Catalonia are in for a memorable experience .” n
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