GSMA, the organizing body of the world's largest mobile technology event, has launched a commission to assess the consequences of the city council's decision to suppress all tourist flats in Barcelona by 2028. Although the current commitment runs until 2030, GSMA is concerned that the removal of 10.000 accommodation units will make the event unsustainable.
“"For now, nothing is finalized, and nothing is clear. But the Mobile knows that hotel capacity alone cannot meet the demand from attendees."
Data from a PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report, based on the Barcelona Tourism Observatory, highlights the scale of the challenge. Currently, tourist flats house four out of ten congress attendees, reaching a 95% occupancy rate during the MWC dates.
The elimination of this supply would reduce available tourist accommodation to 94,196 places starting in 2028, while the demand during the congress is estimated at 146,328 people. This deficit means over 50,000 visitors would lack a place to sleep, a problem exacerbated by the city's efforts to promote winter tourism.
If the uncertainty surrounding the MWC persists, an annual economic impact of between 500 and 600 million euros for Barcelona, along with 13,000 direct jobs, could be lost to another European city. Furthermore, the Gremi d'Hotels (Hotel Guild), led by Jordi Clos, has warned that doubling the municipal tourist tax could “suffocate” congress tourism.
