Revenue generated by cruises in Catalonia increased by 36% between 2014 and 2016. These are some of the figures from a study on the economic impact of cruise activity in Barcelona, commissioned by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and presented in Barcelona by Jordi Suriñach, Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Barcelona (UB) and Director of AQR Lab, accompanied by Raffaele d'Ambrosio, President of CLIA Spain, and Alfredo Serrano, Director in Spain. The study is an update of the fieldwork presented in 2014.
In contrast, from 2011 to 2016 the number of cruise passengers visiting Barcelona barely increased. However, representatives of the cruise industry view this positively, as they appreciate that the current passenger flow has been maintained. Specifically, the impact study indicates that growth is less than 1%.
CRUISE SHIP TYPOLOGY IN BARCELONA
1 in 4 cruise passengers do not visit the city
| CRUISE CATEGORY | ACTIVITY CARRIED OUT IN THE CITY | % | DURATION OF THE VISIT | EXPENSES PER PERSON / DAY |
| Transit without visit | They remain on the ship | 4% | – | 0€ |
| They embark or disembark without a visit | They embark/disembark without visiting | 21% | – | 25€ |
| They visit without staying overnight | They visit without staying overnight | 48% | 4.3 hours | 57€ |
| Overnight stay (pre/post cruise) | They visit and stay overnight | 27% | 2.8 nights | 230€ |
Further examination of the figures reveals that cruise passengers have a greater impact than the average tourist. Representing only 8% of all holiday tourists in Barcelona, cruise passengers account for 20% of total spending. A 20% increase in cruise passenger spending in Barcelona was observed compared to 2014, averaging €518 per cruise passenger.
The ranking of tourist spending is topped by North American tourists, who represent 18% of all cruise passengers arriving in the city: “The impressive growth we have seen in North American tourism is one of the best achievements we can celebrate. It is an asset we must all protect, because they are good tourists who spend a lot,” stated CLIA's CEO, Alfredo Serrano.
The study also mentions that the cruise sector is a major generator of stable employment. According to the study, 6,809 full-time jobs were created in 2016 due to cruise ship activity in the city. It also indicates that if cruise ship activity were to cease, unemployment in Barcelona would increase by 1%.
The study's data only analyzes the situation up to 2016. Serrano asserted that the activity has not been affected by the current political situation, noting that the cruise sector is very sensitive to changes and therefore called for "stability" going forward. However, they did criticize the tourist tax applied to cruise passengers who do not stay overnight, stating that "any action that makes the destination less competitive is not positive." They also criticized the discrimination between cruise passengers and other tourists arriving in the city by any other means of transport. Authorities also positively assessed the agreement between the city council and the Port of Barcelona, which reduces and reorganizes the cruise terminals.
ESCALABCN, A NEW ONLINE PLATFORM FOR THE SECTOR
Escala-BCN is a new communication platform created to explain the cruise industry's contribution to the city of Barcelona. The goal of this pioneering project, driven by CLIA Spain, is to present, in an accessible and engaging way, the benefits of a sector that provides significant, and often overlooked, economic activity to the city. The platform aims to be collaborative among the various stakeholders in the industry. Users will find everything from interviews with key figures to personal stories from local residents. The digital platform will be accessible through its own website, http://www.escalabarcelona.com , and its various social media profiles.
