The Catalan Government and FC Barcelona position Catalonia in the United States as an investment destination
05 Aug 2024
As part of the football club's first team's pre-season tour, ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment and the Catalan Tourism Agency organized two events with around forty executives from multinational companies and American tour operators.
The Catalan Government, through its Ministry for Business and Labour, and FC Barcelona, is promoting Catalonia in the U.S. market as part of the football club's first team's pre-season tour. Specifically, through ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment and the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT), both entities under the Ministry’s jurisdiction, two events were held this weekend to highlight the investment and business opportunities, as well as premium tourism, that Catalonia offers.
Both events, which brought together around forty executives from multinational companies, as well as American tourism agents and operators, were held ahead of the friendly match that FC Barcelona played against Real Madrid at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on Saturday.
The first event, which showcased Catalonia's assets as a destination for foreign investment projects, featured Joan Romero, the executive director of ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment, and Robert Negre, the director of the Catalonia Trade and Investment Office in New York.
The second meeting, organized by the Catalan Tourism Agency, targeted intermediary sector professionals specializing in the premium segment. Led by Aicard Guinovart, the new director of the ACT office in the United States, and Silvia Perera, the director of Alliances and Commercial Relations at the same agency, the meeting aimed to create interest in Catalonia's premium offerings and attract high-spending clients to the region, highlighting the connection with FC Barcelona.
On behalf of FC Barcelona, Miquel Camps, Deputy spokesperson for the Board of Directors, and Sergi Ricart, Chief Marketing Revenue Officer, attended the presentations.
An alliance around Brand Catalonia
These initiatives are part of the collaboration agreement between the Catalan Tourism Agency (ACT) and FC Barcelona, which was renewed this July. The goal of this alliance is to enhance and improve the positioning of the Catalonia brand in line with the tourism model defined in the National Commitment for Responsible Tourism. Under the slogan "Feel the Colors", the campaign revolves around the values, identity, and inspiration of FC Barcelona and Catalonia as global vehicles to attract visitors from around the world, as well as businesses and investment projects.
The US, a commercial and tourism point of reference for Catalonia
In 2023, the United States became the leading investor in Catalonia in terms of the number of business projects and job creation. American companies invested around €937 million in Catalonia, according to ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment data based on the Financial Times' fDi Markets.
Since 2021, U.S. multinational companies have invested €3.564 billion in Catalonia, leading to the creation of 11,300 jobs.
As regards the tourism industry, nearly 1.6 million Americans visited Catalonia in 2023, making the U.S. the third-largest source of arrivals to the region. In terms of spending, the United States topped the list of foreign tourism, contributing more than €2.950 billion to the Catalan economy last year. It also led in average spending per person, which exceeded €1,720.
Discover Catalonia Trade & InvestmentServices.
-
Business Location Service
See moreGet all the information about Barcelona-Catalonia industrial buildings, land, business centers, or office spaces.
-
Setting up your company
See moreCatalonia Trade & Investment assists foreign companies in starting a business in Barcelona-Catalonia.
-
Financing & Incentives
See moreAs a Catalan government agency, we provide expert support and financial aid for your business in Barcelona-Catalonia, assisting you throughout the process.
