Fira Barcelona generates 1% of Catalonia’s GDP
Share news
Listen
Fira de Barcelona’s activity has grown from 4,795.6 million euros in 2019, the last year analyzed in the previous report, to 6,143.51 million euros in 2024, an increase of 28.1%. Figures that are spread across many areas of activity beyond generating business for event participants and local industry, and creating thousands of jobs. The study focused on the Montjuïc, Gran Via and Barcelona International Convention Center (CCIB) venues.
An increasingly relevant activity for the territories
The study focuses on three variables: the operating and organizational costs of trade fairs and events, visitor and exhibitor costs, and the business creation attributed to exhibitors for participating in the various events. The final figure is the result of calculating the direct, indirect and induced effects.
Based on these data, 64.7% of Fira’s annual economic impact is in the service sectors. Of particular note are the commerce, transport and hotel and catering sector (39.2 %), and professional, scientific and administrative activities (8.9 %). As for industrial activities (which account for 30.4 % of the total impact), the food industry (14.1 %), the chemical industry (2.9 %) and the machinery manufacturing sector (1.9 %) stand out.
These results imply a multiplier effect of 1.78 euros of spending associated with Fira de Barcelona. In other words, each euro of expenditure made by the agents generating the impact produces 1.78 euros of production in the Catalan economy, beyond the strictly Barcelona economy. On the other hand, the total economic impact generated a gross value added (GVA) in 2024 of 2,960 million euros, equivalent to 1.02% of Catalonia’s GVA.
At the same time, trade fair activity contributed to the creation of 49,423 jobs (full-time), 78.9 % of which corresponded to service activities. Particularly noteworthy were 48.4 % in the trade, hotel and catering sector, 14.4 % in professional, scientific and administrative activities, 8.1 % in the artistic and recreational activities sector and, among the manufacturing sectors, 6.1 % in the food industry.
No less important is that this activity generates tax revenue that translates into more than 1,224.8 million euros in revenue for the public treasury in 2024, from VAT, personal income tax, corporate income tax and excise taxes.
Visitors, exhibitors and job creation
The study points out that a significant part of the overall economic impact (more than 2,418 million euros) comes from the spending of exhibitors and visitors attending events held at Fira. To calculate this, 19,964 direct exhibitors (more than half of them international) and 1.8 million visitors to the most important annual fairs held at the Fira de Barcelona venues were taken into account. In this sense, the attendance of professional and international participants is the main source of this profit.
On the other hand, 53.4% of the total impact (3,283 million euros) is the result of business creation, i.e., sales by companies based in Catalonia derived from participation in various events.
The new Zero, additional 675 million euros
Moreover, in the coming years, Fira will enhance its venues with the expansion of Gran Via and the transformation and renovation of Montjuïc for the celebration of the centenary of the 1929 International Exhibition, as we told you in the past.
Specifically, the construction of the new Pavilion Zero at the Gran Via venue will have an estimated additional economic impact of 675 million euros per year from 2027, when it comes into operation. This unique new space will increase the surface area of the venue by 25%, which will allow for the growth of the fairs held there, as well as attracting new events.
