International tourism declined due to the pandemic. Especially those destinations of great predilection such as Barcelona. Asian tourism to the Catalan capital has always been one of the most important sources of income for the city.
Therefore, a delegation from Barcelona Tourism began its visits to Seoul to start promoting Barcelona as a tourist destination par excellence.
During the trip to Seoul, Barcelona was presented to approximately sixty leading tour operators. And the Asian traveler was chosen, as they traditionally quadruple in Barcelona the average expenditure of a tourist from other countries.
There will also be several commercial visits to capture an important market that is returning to normality. Efforts are focused on attracting quality travelers, rather than waiting for the large flows of travelers that continue to arrive by simple inertia.
Asian and American tourism: the most popular
Although the strategy yields results in the medium term, it has already begun to bear fruit initially with the return of U.S. tourism. In fact, it has become the most desired by the city for its profitability due to the high number of visitors.
The same promotional action was carried out in the last few years and the face-to-face promotion began to conquer the Asian market from Korea.
Asian tourists are preferred in Barcelona and are considered “favorites” because of their cultural interests, high consumption and their quiet and peaceful profile. The promotional visit actions were initiated due to the fact that the pandemic closed the viability of air connections and attempts to travel to the Condal City.
The balance of tourism in the city
Marian Muro, director of Barcelona Tourism, said that this mission in Seoul was aimed at the premium segment, through a presentation of Barcelona’s main novelties.
A poster of the cultural offerings of the Joan Miró Foundation was also presented as a result of the exhibition “Joan Miró, women, birds and stars” at the MAMU Museum in Seoul.
And this action plan is being implemented on the basis that Barcelona has seen fewer tourists this summer compared to 2019.
During this year, 22 actions have also been carried out, including Webinars, workshops and training sessions for issuing agents. New Tik digital communication channels have also been opened in Tok and WeChat.
Marian Muro points out that a Webinar was held that brought together more than 200 participants from the region, given the interest in Barcelona among Asians.
The institutional visit of the Economic Promotion area of the Barcelona City Council sought to strengthen business relations with Korea, as well as to add another direct Korean Air flight with three weekly frequencies.
