Congresses held in Barcelona increase by 8% in 2017

One of the defining features of Barcelona is the amount of congresses held, ranked among the highest in Europe. And last year, these events actually increased in the Catalan capital by 8%, which according to the local councilor for tourism, Agustí Colom, made for a very good year, especially in terms of the increase in the number of attendees.

“We’re talking about an increase of nearly 700,000 participants, an increase of 14% compared to the previous year, making 2017 a very relevant year in that aspect,” Colom said.

The amount of events held were more than 2,000, placing Barcelona up with Paris and Berlin in way of capitals hosting the most congresses at a European level.

Despite everything that happened in 2017, between the Barcelona terror attacks and a tense political landscape, no important congress cancelled, said the councilor, pointing out that the economic impact to the Barcelona metropolitan area reaches 1.5 billion euros. This is enjoyed by hotels, restaurants, and transport systems, as well as businesses outside of the city as well.

Among the newcomers to the Barcelona congress scene is one related to medicine that’s never before been held in the city, one that the councilor also assured is especially important. This falls within the category of the Catalan capital’s strongest congresses, which include the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals and new technologies. However, for reasons of confidentiality, no more details were given, and citizens will just have to wait and see what exactly it is.