Barcelona Is Preparing to Unveil a New Marketing Campaign

Barcelona is in the midst of creating a new tourism marketing campaign focused on sustainability and maximizing the social return of the travel industry.

Slated to be rolled out in 2019, the new campaign will be developed with the input of multiple sources, including businesses, big data experts, academic institutions and local government, according to Hosteltur.

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Among the goals of the new campaign is shaping the tourism industry going forward in order to guarantee the sustainability of the city while also enhancing the multiplier effect of tourism in strategic sectors and promoting integrated destination management.

The campaign’s development will go through several key phases including a “diagnosis of the destination,” which will take about three months and include participatory sessions, seminars and workshops.

There will also be a "positioning and strategy" phase that is expected to last about one month. And finally, the "tourist marketing operational plan" will be the focus of about two months of work.

Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau said the new tourism marketing program "is not an isolated strategy, but rather a part of a broad vision,” according to Hosteltur.

"The most important thing is to achieve the maximum economic and social return for the whole city, " Colau added.

Joan Gaspart, chairman of the Barcelona Tourism Consortium's executive committee also pointed out that "entrepreneurs are very clear that the success of tourism is not only for the benefit of one party but is in benefit of all the world.”

The new marketing strategy is part of the 2020 Strategic Tourism Plan for Barcelona, a document unveiled in December with the goal of managing the destination by ensuring its sustainability. As part of that plan, there will be an effort moving forward to promote Barcelona as a destination that includes more than merely its municipal area.