A study carried out by Deloitte shows that the Club is a driving force in the economy, in tourism and in generating income for the Catalan capital The opening of the Espai Barça will only serve to increase the Club's economic impact on the city's revenue by a projected further 9%
A report by Deloitte has analysed the economic impact of FC Barcelona on the city of Barcelona, citing it at 759 million euros in the 2013/14 season, which represents 1.2% of the city’s GDP. The study was presented onm Wednesday at the Cercle d’Economia in Barcelona and the event was attended by president Josep Maria Bartomeu, Ana Andueza, of Deloitte and Salvador Alemany, president of Abertis Infraestructures and former president of the Cercle d’Economia,
The report also calculates that following construction of the new Espai Barça, the effect on GDP and employment in the city will increase by 9% on the present figures to 826 million euros and 16,628 jobs. FC Barcelona is therefore a huge generator of wealth and has a clearly positive effect on the city’s economy, which also helps to explain the institution’s current and future financial sustainability.
The objectives and scope of the Deloitte study has been divided into three parts: evaluating the economic impact of the club’s activity on the city in the 2013/14 season, estimating the economic impact of the construction of the Espai Barça from 2017 to 2021 and calculating the impact of the Espai Barça’s activity once it is operational.
Apart from the impact of 759 million euros of GDP in 2013/14, it is noted that the construction of the Espai Barça will increase that figure by 21%, for the activity will generate 917 million euros of GDP and 18,523 jobs a year. Every euro directly spent in the city by the club generates 2.7 million euros in GDP.
6% of city's tourism thanks to Barça
The club also boosts tourism, for 6% of visitors to the city state that FC Barcelona is their main reason for coming. The club generates 1.3 million overnight stays in the city, equivalent to 54% of what is generated by the congresses, meetings and events sector, and mobilises 2.2 million supporters and 1.5 million visits to the Museum and Camp Nou Experience. The club also generates 15,200 jobs, equivalent to 15% of unemployment in Barcelona, and that impact will be multiplied by 21% during the construction phase of the Espai Barça, to reach a total of 18,500 jobs a year thanks to the club’s activity.
Extract from speech by President Josep Maria Bartomeu:
“The details of our impact on the city offer a broader perspective of what Barça means to the city of Barcelona. Barça is one of the economic engines of our city”.
“But what is most surprising is the impulse that will be generated by the Espai Barça, which is not only the most ambitious patrimonial project in the world of sport, but is also a demonstration of Barcelona’s capacity to innovate, set standards, lead and progress in line with future needs”.
“Sustainability has always been the goal of this mandate and is a permanent objective for the future of our club”.