Barcelona: a great place for living, investing and innovating, says report

Barcelona has gained influence as a city associated with innovation, creativity, and business, says the latest 'Barcelona in the eyes of the world' survey.

The city council survey also found that commerce, tourism and event management are other areas that those polled associate with the Catalan capital.

In this edition of the study, which surveyed people from all over the world, Barcelona is for the first time associated with the technological, biomedical and digital sectors.

Those polled also highlighted the city's welcoming character, the opportunity for business and investment, and its ability to attract international talent.

Expensive with too much tourism

Among the negative aspects that those surveyed associated with the city are high prices, a lack of safety and mass tourism.

However, some 45% of those polled said about the city that there was "no negative aspect that stood out."

Overall, the study shows Barcelona has a positive image and is especially appreciated for its food, beaches, architecture and emblematic sites, such as the Sagrada Família church.

Popular with foreign residents

People from abroad also see the city as a good place to live, especially among entrepreneurs, journalists and business travelers.

Beyond the quality of life, which is especially associated with the weather and the ambiance, the city is prized for other values, such as its modernity and cosmopolitan nature.

Good for business

As for the business side, experts, journalists, and foreign businesspeople point to the solidity of its business community, its infrastructure, universities and business schools.

They also praise the general improvement in the level of English, and the dynamism brought to the city by a growing number of start-ups and research centers.

Over 3,000 people between 18 and 65 from around Europe, North America, and Asia were surveyed. This included city residents, business travelers, foreign correspondents, and image experts, among others.

Some of the data in the study also came from an analysis of 240,000 Twitter conversations about the cities of Barcelona, Amsterdam, Singapore, and Miami.