World Routes 2017

The 23rd World Route Development Forum

Barcelona, Catalonia
23 – 26 September 2017

Why Barcelona?

The economic, cultural and administrative capital of Catalonia, Barcelona is one of the largest metropolises in Europe. The tenth-most visited city in the world and the third-most visited in Europe, Barcelona is a unique blend of tradition and modernism, with a distinctive cultural and artistic heritage dating back over 2,000 years.

Cruise Shipping Port at Night, Barcelona

A multi-modal transport hub

Barcelona El Prat Airport is one of the fastest growing hubs in European region and has continued to improve its infrastructure and facilities in recent years, demonstrating its commitment to attracting new long haul services. Barcelona is also home to the world’s 4th busiest cruise port base. With over 80% of cruise passengers flying to their turnaround city, Barcelona provides significant growth opportunities.

Business conference event in Barcelona

A business-minded city

The city’s geo-economic location, logistical infrastructure and attractive business ecosystems, have ensured that Barcelona has benefitted from considerable foreign investment in recent years.  Ranked the 4th best European city for business by Cushman and Wakefield, Barcelona is home to 90% of the 5,000 foreign companies based in Catalonia, including Banco Santander, Telefonica and MapFire Group.

Historic Barcelona Street

A world class destination

The tenth-most visited city in the world and the third-most visited in Europe, Barcelona is a unique blend of tradition and modernism, with a distinctive cultural and artistic heritage dating back over 2,000 years. With its Mediterranean climate, abundance of culture and cosmopolitan spirit, it is unsurprising that Barcelona is consistently named one of the happiest cities in the world.

Barcelona’s array of cultural, architectural and leisure attractions, helped it to attract over 8 million tourists in 2015, making it one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world.

Explore the cosmopolitan capital