Methodological process

The Strategic Plan was drawn up according to the basic premise of applying a flexibility-based methodological style. In order to develop a reflection process on tourism and the city, the Plan  based on the criteria, instruments and systems inherent to the strategic approach which have been rigorously adapted to the dimensions and realities of Barcelona, while following the style of work attained in drawing up several of the city's strategic plans.

In order to foster participation and involvement, the Plan has set in train a very diverse set of actions which have made it possible to trace a route which has deliberately set out to place special emphasis on the creation of dialogue, opening up debates and contrasting different views of tourism in Barcelona. The entire process helps to make headway in and achieve the objectives of improving tourist activity and ensuring that tourism fits in with the needs of the city, making the process a basic asset in order to achieve improvements.

The importance of the action-reflection process has become key throughout the Plan, precisely because active participation, the generation of opinions, the comparison of discourses and criteria, and the shared knowledge of the current situation have become the means to achieving the aims of the Strategic Plan. Indeed, the slogan of the Strategic Plan "a reflection process on tourism and the city" becomes the objective and method of the plan at the same time.

Working phases

The Strategic Plan is structured into two basic working phases:

> Strategic diagnosis phase

> Strategic proposal and action development phase

The initial phase spanned the period from September 2008 to October 2009, and developed the aspects related to the analysis and diagnosis of tourism in the city. The proposed actions phase consisted of two main parts: the first, the strategic proposal (from November 2009 to January 2010), defined the vision, the tourism model and the challenges facing tourism in Barcelona; the second part, however, was dedicated to the development of lines of action and the definition of proposals, that will last until summer 2010.

 Main actions carried out in the analysis and diagnosis phase

The initial working phase, which took place from September 2008 to October 2009, performed an in-depth analysis and diagnosis of the situation of tourism in Barcelona, paying special attention to its territorial, sectorial, economic, social and cultural aspects, and always takes an integral view of the tourist phenomenon itself. It is also important to mention an aspect that has been fundamental throughout this task and which has marked out the path and the modus operandi of the Plan throughout the analysis and diagnosis process: the participation and involvement of society in the reflection on tourism and the city.

In this way, the analysis and resulting diagnosis of tourism in Barcelona have been performed according to a process of reflection and action which has deliberately sought the wide-ranging and constant involvement of the local community, and made this aspect both the method and final result. At the same time, a great effort was made to gather data and objective information, in order to find out about the current situation of tourism in Barcelona with greater rigour and precision.

Road map: the focus groups and the questionnaire "Senate Tourism and City"

In order to embark on the reflection process on tourism and the city, and having defined the objectives, intentions and basic methodological foundations for its development, two actions were carried out that defined the Strategic Plan road map: six focus group workshops and the drawing up, issuing and analysis of a wide-ranging, in-depth questionnaire about tourism and the city to a large group of people associated with tourism and Barcelona.

The purpose of the focus groups was twofold: to bring up and reveal the main critical issues and key aspects of tourism in Barcelona and to mark the true starting point of the Plan.

Six working sessions were held with 100 people from a wide variety of backgrounds taking part. As a whole, the contributions of the focus group members brought to the table a series of questions concerning the following aspects:

> Relationship between tourism and the community

> Territorial rebalancing and diversification

> Infrastructures and internal mobility

> Tourism image

> Professionalisation

> Tourism management and model

Bearing these considerations in mind, and thanks to the quality and quantity of the contributions from all the participants, the focus groups have become the true starting point and beginning of the reflection on tourism and the city.

The Strategic Plan Office then drew up a questionnaire drawing on the contributions of the focus groups, which had as its aim the calculation, exploration and analysis of critical themes and key aspects of tourism in Barcelona.

The questionnaire featured some 200 questions and was sent out in early November 2008 to the focus group members and greater numbers of people who were also linked to tourism and the city. In total, 300 people received the questionnaire with more than 50% submitting their replies. By analysing the questionnaire, some particularly important themes emerged which indicated the main critical points and key aspects of tourism in Barcelona.

From a methodological point of view, the experience of the focus groups and the questionnaire gave the Strategic Plan a very clear idea of the areas that needed to be addressed in order to analyse tourism in the city, while confirming the importance of social involvement and participation.

Information and opinions: a dual line of work

In order to carry out the analysis of tourism and the city, the Strategic Plan has worked on a dual line of research:

> to gather and generate information and objective data

> to generate and gather opinions and perceptions

Both lines of work are complementary and were carried out simultaneously, and fit into the areas of "Knowledge generation" (which is interested in gathering and constructing objective data and information) and "Spaces of participation" (which takes as its basis a variety of actions in order to promote social participation and the creation of opinions and perceptions about tourism in the city).

Studies and reports

The Strategic Plan Office has commissioned to and coordinated a series of major studies with university research groups and businesses specialising in tourism analysis. They all made an important contribution to knowledge of tourist activity in Barcelona and the understanding of the relationship between tourism and the city.

> Delphi study on urban tourism trends and their links to Barcelona

ESADE carried out a Delphi study on urban tourism trends and their links to Barcelona, based on the participation of some 60 experts from Spain and abroad.

> Economic impact of tourism on Barcelona 2007 and 2009

The study Economic impact of tourism on Barcleona was commissioned to the research group AQR at Barcelona University. It was carried out in two phases: the first corresponding to the analysis of 2007, and the second focusing on 2009.

> Benchmarking Barcelona

The Plan also carried out a benchmarking analysis which used objective criteria in order to compare Barcelona with 17 cities around the world, competitors and/or benchmark cities.

> Image of Barcelona on incoming markets

The inhabitants from eight of the main incoming countries were polled about their image of Barcelona for the study Image of Barcelona on incoming markets.

> Image and position of Barcelona as a tourist destination on social networking sites

The importance of the internet in the decision-making processes of a tourist destination was the reason for the study on the image and position of Barcelona as a tourist destination on social networking sites.

> Quantifying the number of visitors to Barcelona in 2009

The aim of this study was to record the different types of visitors to Barcelona throughout 2009, either those staying in hotels, guesthouses, youth hostels or with friends and relatives, as well as those visiting from other places who did not stay overnight.

> Good practices in the international sphere

The Plan are also carrying out an analysis of good practices in the international sphere to identify those possible actions geared to the competitive improvement in specific aspects which have a particular impact on the proposals featured in the Plan.

 Technical Working Groups

In order to reinforce the participative processes, the Strategic Plan has made it possible to bring together five working groups known as Technical Working Groups which have as their aim to analyse, identify and garner knowledge of some of the specific aspects of tourism in Barcelona. They featured the contributions of experts, professionals and those in charge of each theme, as well as the direct involvement of institutions such as the Barcelona Economic and Social Council and the Mobility Pact.

> Barcelona Web 2.0 Technical Working Group

> Technical Working Group for Professionalism and Quality

> Technical Working Group for Safety

> Technical Working Group for Mobility

> Technical Working Group for Tourism and Retail Opening Hours

Interviews

Throughout the process of the Plan, the Strategic Plan Office took into account the opinions of significant people who have been interviewed, along with those of other people who are representative of the city and, due to their links to, or knowledge of Barcelona, brought the Office their views and opinions about tourism in Barcelona. The Office also interviewed representatives of the different municipal groups.

Working Commissions

The Working Commissions met in April and May 2009, and concentrated mainly on the efforts of the Strategic Plan during its analysis phase.

As a whole, the commissions have activated high and diverse levels of participation from people associated with the city and tourism in Barcelona and the country. This is why the Strategic Plan Office has obtained a valuable amount of information and opinions which will contribute towards the diagnosis of tourism in Barcelona. More than 250 people from Barcelona and Catalonia took part in the 20 working sessions.

> Territorial sphere

. Tourist areas and icons

. Barcelona districts

. Metropolitan environment

. Barcelona, capital of Catalonia

> Sectoral sphere

. Commerce

. Accommodation

. Restaurants and bars

. Intermediation

> Product sphere

. Tourism and culture

. Tourism and business

The Working Commissions were set up with a very clear objective: to create a dialogue and shared analysis about the way tourism fits in with the needs of the city.

The purpose of the commissions is to bring together relatively small groups of people from different backgrounds and opinions in a dialogue about a specific theme, in order to perform a SWOT-type (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) diagnosis about every aspect under discussion. The intentions have certainly been ambitious, in terms of the people convened and their involvement, as well as the level and intensity of discussion aimed for.

Communicating the Plan

Numerous presentations of the Plan have been made in different settings and venues, inside and outside the city: departments and head offices of the City Council, Barcelona Provincial Council and the Catalan Government, as well as at the city's cultural, economic, social and neighbourhood institutions and organisations and professional associations; presentations have also been made to trade unions and management, and representatives from the main sectors and businesses associated with tourist activity. The Plan has also been presented at workshops, symposiums, congresses and conventions, and to a broadly based public. A total of 120 presentations have been made since the Plan was launched.

There is also a website (www.turismebcn2015.cat), which provides a channel for the dissemination of the Strategic Plan.

Tourism and City Municipal Technical Committee

At the request of the Strategic Plan, and by mayoral decree, the Tourism and City Technical Committee was set up in June 2009. It is convened by Barcelona City Council, to provide an instrument for cross-cutting coordination, which is authorised to request commissions for the municipal organisation and is associated with the governing bodies of the executive municipal administration. The Tourism and City Municipal Technical Committee is chaired by the municipal manager, and coordinated by the Economic Promotion Department. Its members include representatives from the different municipal departments: Municipal Management; Economic Promotion, Environment; Prevention, Mobility and Safety; General Services and Territorial Coordination; Urban Planning and Infrastructures; Education, Culture and Welfare; Ciutat Vella District Council.