America's Cup attracts 1.6 million visitors by early October, says city council
Data sheds light on real number of attendees after investigation found numbers were inflated by counting passersby and repeat entries
The America's Cup sailing competition currently taking place in Barcelona has attracted 1.6 million visitors since it began in August, according to the city council.
These figures, first reported by newspaper El Periódico and confirmed by the Catalan News Agency, come amid controversy over the real number of spectators at the competition.
In September, media outlet La Directa revealed that the visitor and spectator numbers provided by the organization of the competition were inflated.
The investigation revealed that the visitor counts included all individuals who passed through the Race Village and Fan Zones, regardless of the number of times they passed through or whether they were just passing through without participating in the event.
According to La Directa, this overcounting was intended to justify the classification of the America's Cup as an "Exceptional Event of Public Interest" (EEIP), a status essential for receiving public funding and tax benefits.
Now, the city council has revealed that the figure of 1.6 million visitors specifically refers to those visiting the Race Village, the different fan zones, the Recer breakwater, and spectators on boats.
This estimate also excludes beachgoers, the council stressed, as not all beachgoers watch the competition, although it points out that some of them might.
Opening ceremony on Thursday night
The announcement comes a day before the official opening ceremony of the competition, which will feature a show at Bogatell Beach.
The show will start at 9pm and it is free to access. It will be visible from the beach as it will take place in the regattas area on the Mediterranean.