Barcelona own goal with assist from the Pope?

Barcelona is a city facing enormous tourism pressure. This has encouraged a series of measures to control tourism, including restricting Airbnb (due to be banned completely by 2028), increasing the tourism tax and banning pub crawls.

In common with cities like Amsterdam, Barcelona is trying to adopt a placemaking approach to tourism, rather than place marketing. Tourism policy is orientating towards improving the quality of life for residents, rather than attracting more and more tourists.

The Sagrada Familia looks popular enough already....

It is a bit strange, therefore, that Barcelona will host another mega-event in June, just as the main tourist season gets under way. The Pope is due to consecrate the Jesus Christ Tower of the Sagrada Familia, ostensibly to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the death of its architect, Antoni Gaudí (he was hit by a tram on June 10^th, 1926). This is clearly a significant date, but perhaps it might have been better to come on February 20^th 2026, when the highest tower was completed? The (slightly) lower occupancy rates of Barcelona hotels at that time would have increased the economic benefit and perhaps decreased the visitor pressure.

The cost of the Pope’s visit to Madrid, Barcelona and the Canary Islands is estimated at €15 million. However, this should be offset by the €100 million in spending by tourists, local visitors and pilgrims. But more important than the economic effect, according to José María Cubillo, Professor in International Marketing from Madrid, is the international projection of the Pope’s trip.

One wonders if Barcelona, which is currently trying to turn tourists away, really needs any more ‘international projection’. Barcelona is already ranked no. 10 on Forbe’s list of best tourist cities for 2025, ahead of London, which has dropped to no. 13.

It is therefore curious that the Generalitat (Catalan Regional Government) has decided to fund the Pope’s visit to the tune of €1.5 million. There will also be more indirect public sector support through the provision of security (6,000 police) and the free use of the Olympic Stadium for a Mass for 37,000 people (a cost estimated to reach almost €1 million). Particularly in view of the fact that the funding from the Generalitat comes from the revenue generated by the tourist tax. In other words, the money generated from a measure designed to limit tourism is being used to stimulate more tourism.

Some visitors are less welcome

This approach is actually a throwback to a previous era of tourism management, when Destination Marketing organisations (as they were previously called) use tourism taxes on promotion to attract more visitors. The argument was usually that increased visitor numbers would generate more tourist spending, which would then benefit the local economy and create jobs. But in the placemaking approach to tourism governance now being adopted by many destinations, marketing organisations have been repurposed as  Destination Management Organisations, and have started to address the needs of residents as well as visitors.

At least the Pope will be trying to get in touch with locals: travelling in a normal car, rather than the Popemobile and travelling economy class on the flight to Barcelona. He is also due to visit a prison and the Raval neighbourhood, where he will meet social organisations. Some may be less positive about contact with the Pope, however, in view of the extensive traffic restrictions and public transport disruptions this involves. Tourists coming to Barcelona during the Papal visit may also not appreciate the 23% rise in hotel rates this is causing.

At the end of the day, one also wonders how many locals in Barcelona will welcome the additional tourism generated by the Pope’s visit.