Over five million euros from the tourist tax invested in districts and promoting the city
The sum of 5,454,997,95 euros from the Tax on Overnight Stays in Tourist Establishments (IEET) will be used for 39 tourist development projects and the promotion of important cultural activities for the international projection of the city. The new package of projects will see the districts get more than 1.6 million euros to help create new concepts, improve tourism products and management, diversify tourism in the local area and reduce the impact on spaces with high volumes of tourists.The projects in the districts are:
- Sants-Montjuïc (230,000 euros): subsidies for ‘Viu el teu Montjuïc’, el Parc de la Cultura 2023’, a festival with a programme full of activities; continuity will be given to the Tourist Sector Board and funding given for an online catalogue of local providers, managed by the district and Barcelona Activa, for hotels in the area.
- Les Corts (84,500 euros): projects such as New Icons, a parade for fashion and auteur creations; the creation of inclusive routes to discover the district, signage for iconic spaces with information panels featuring QR codes, funding for an exhibition on the monument in the cemetery for those repatriated at sea and more.
- Gràcia (250,000 euros): Continuity and expansion of the plan for the district’s squares for 2023. The service to resolve conflicts in public space in the busiest months is also set to be expanded to include two more squares, and diversification plans developed with new points of interest.
- Nou Barris (187,465 euros): Introduction of a panoramic bus service during the local festival to show heritage and the natural environment, plus human statues in Plaça Major, a children’s activity programme in the Parc Central and a campaign to add vitality to local commerce. Support will also be given to the Festival Desvario-Flamenco, the Festival d’Estiu al Pati and the Laboratori d’Art Urbà.
- Sant Martí (250,000 euros): Funding for a programme for culture in public space to be rolled out in the neighbourhood of El Besòs i el Maresme as part of the Neighbourhood Plan.
- Ciutat Vella (180,000 euros): Transformation of one of the flower stalls on La Rambla into a health module for a pilot project, plus the promotion of networking between hotels in the district, social organisations, local commerce and cultural facilities.
- Sant Andreu (130,000 euros): Structural consolidation project for the Capella dels Segadors, listed as an asset of national interest, plus studies prior to its renovation.
- Horta-Guinardó (77,039 euros): Various projects such as the promotion of a network of routes and activities in natural spaces in the mountain neighbourhoods from the Can Soler nature centre, plus some funding for the ati-aircraft gun emplacements at the top of the Turó de la Rovira.
- Sarrià-Sant Gervasi (57,928 euros): Resources to help people with cognitive and/or visual disabilities enjoy guided tours of the Modernista route in Avinguda Tibidabo and the creation of a route in Collserola with land-art installations and permanent outdoor sculptures.
- Eixample (200,384 euros): Continuity for the programme of guided tours in different languages at the former Model prison, promotion and vitality of the Fira Sant Tomàs, the Fira de Reis a la Gran Via and the Fira de Nadal in Plaça de la Sagrada Família, plus the promotion of the Milla Sagrada Família run.
International promotion of the city
The sum of 3.7 million euros has also been allocated for fifteen cultural initiatives and programmes which are important for the international projection of the city, such as the Festival Grec, La Mercè, the New Year’s Eve celebrations, BCNLlum and others.
Other budgetary items will be for the Dissenyem Comerç programme, which gets 225,000 euros, the Òpera i Comerç programme, with 100,000 euros, and a professional competition for meat skewers and tapas in June. There will also be support for the concert by the OBC at the beach, the artistic shop-window display project in the Gòtic neighbourhood, the BCN Eurovision Party and various activities planned as part of the bicentenary of Passeig de Gràcia.
The fund from the tourist tax will also provide 75,000 euros for the project “La Rambla, new urban tourism model”, along with over 130,000 euros for toilets at the beaches of Nova Icària, Bogatell, Somorrostro and Sant Miquel.
Finally, the Barcelona Tourist Consortium will get one and a half million euros to help promote Barcelona as an urban tourism destination, along with initiatives to foster sustainability and participation.