Barcelona, March 15 – Fira de Barcelona’s activities generated an economic impact exceeding €6.1 billion in 2024, representing a significant 28.1% improvement over the figure recorded in 2019. This is one of the most striking conclusions of a new report by the Barcelona Institute of Economics (IEB), a research center linked to the University of Barcelona.
Fira’s Contribution to Employment and GDP
The study also highlights that Fira de Barcelona creates more than 49,000 jobs, and its gross added value (GAV) is equivalent to one-hundredth of Catalonia’s GDP, which reached €316.728 billion in 2024. The IEB estimates that the stimulating effect of this activity is primarily felt in the services sector, which accounts for almost two-thirds (64.7%) of the total impact. However, it also positively affects the food industry (14.1%), chemical industry (2.9%), and machinery manufacturing (1.9%).
Leadership Praises Fira’s Role
Pau Relat, chairman of Fira’s board of directors, affirmed that the figures “ratify the institution’s good pace and its key role as a driver of the Catalan economy.” He attributes the strong increase over the past five years “to the good work done and the growth and dimension of the events held in our venues, many of which are global benchmarks in their sectors.”
Constantí Serrallonga, the consortium’s general director, added that “these figures, together with record annual results, with more than €350 million in revenue in 2025, encourage us to continue working with the aim of growing the events and strengthening the institution’s role as a strategic element in the economic and social development of the territory.”
Methodology and Multiplier Effect
The study calculates the direct, indirect, and induced effects of Fira de Barcelona’s actions based on three variables: operating and organizational expenses for congresses and events, visitor and exhibitor spending (which exceeded €2.418 billion in 2024), and the business creation derived from all this (estimated at €3.283 billion by the IEB).
From the cross-referencing of this data, it is inferred that Fira de Barcelona has a spending multiplier effect of 1.75. Furthermore, the entity’s activities generated €1.224 billion in tax revenue for the Public Treasury in the analyzed year. The number of full-time jobs generated, totally or partially, is also noteworthy: 49,423, with almost half corresponding to commercial, hospitality, and catering activities.
Future Growth and Investment
Forecasts indicate that this overall impact could increase significantly in the medium term. Specifically, Fira has embarked on a large-scale productive investment: the construction of the new Pavilion Zero at the Gran Via venue. This new space is expected to provide an additional annual impact of €675 million from 2027, when it becomes operational, and will increase the venue’s capacity by a quarter. The IEB report concludes that Fira’s main asset continues to be the sustained growth in attendance and contracting volume registered at its events.
Source: https://elpais.com/economia/negocios/2026-03-15/un-empujon-financiero-para-barcelona.html
