Cooperation between institutions is essential to turning Barcelona into a vibrant cultural space.

The great potential of the Catalan capital as a leading city for hosting top-level exhibitions and cultural events was the guiding theme of the round table discussion. Barcelona, ​​​​cultural capital: future of major exhibitions and events, organized by the ARA in collaboration with the Catalunya La Pedrera Foundation. The roundtable, moderated by the director of the ARA, Esther Vera, featured the participation of the general director of the FCLP, Marta Lacambra; the director of Barcelona Tourism, Mateu Hernández; the director of the Liceu, Valentí Oviedo; and the director of the Joan Miró Foundation, Marko Daniel, to highlight Barcelona's global reach through cultural tourism.

During the debate, held on May 7 in the La Pedrera auditorium, the speakers analyzed how to transform Barcelona into a cultural magnet, while detailing the opportunities, challenges, and strategies to further consolidate Barcelona as a prime destination for large-scale cultural events.

The director of the Joan Miró Foundation, Marko Daniel, emphasized the need for a more determined collective self-esteem. He argued that Barcelona already has a high-quality, diverse, and deep-rooted cultural offering, but that it is often undervalued. "We must believe our own narrative," he said. "If we tell the public that Barcelona has a very important cultural offering, we must believe it and convince our local audiences." For Daniel, the difference between Barcelona and other cities is precisely this living and open cultural fabric, which must be made visible and shared with the world.

For her part, Marta Lacambra, general director of the Catalonia La Pedrera Foundation, emphasized the importance of strengthening Barcelona's cultural identity through discourse and communication. "It's not just about showcasing architecture or exhibitions, but about conveying that we are a society that believes in culture as a fundamental value," she said. Therefore, "tickets to La Pedrera are allocated to projects that benefit society," stated the general director of the FCLP. However, she defended the idea of cultural capillarity, a strategy to extend institutional collaboration throughout the territory and ensure that culture reaches more neighborhoods and audiences.

The director of Barcelona Tourism, Mateu Hernández, advocated a more in-depth vision of tourism, not only as an economic activity, but also as a tool for transforming the city. According to Hernández, tourism must be governed by regulating supply, but also by managing demand, promoting a city that attracts visitors aligned with Barcelona's cultural, civic, and sustainable values. "No tourist will want to visit a city that is not loved by its citizens," he said, before emphasizing that "this civic situation must be reversed." To achieve this, "we must understand that tourism is not a sector in itself, but rather a lever for transforming the city, and we must understand it as a platform for change."

Valentí Oviedo, director of the Gran Teatre del Liceu, emphasized that "cooperation between the city's main cultural institutions is essential." Oviedo stated that the institutions work organically, sharing ideas and resources. "And this allows us to offer a unique and powerful proposal, closely aligned with Barcelona's personality," he concluded.

The roundtable made it clear that Barcelona already has the essential ingredients to consolidate itself as an internationally renowned cultural capital: a first-class artistic offering, institutions willing to cooperate, and a unique narrative that embraces quality, sustainability, and shared values. But at the same time, it was evident that we must go one step further: believe in the narrative, communicate it powerfully, and involve citizens as protagonists. The four speakers agreed that the future of tourism in Barcelona cannot be separate from culture, but must be built from it, highlighting the character, personality, and unique identity of the city of Barcelona.