I joined four MP colleagues from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on a trip to Barcelona, Spain this week as part of the committee’s investigation into the impact of Brexit on tourism and the creative industries. Barcelona was chosen because of its reputation as an increasingly important player in the digital space, because of the large number of ex-pats living in the area, and because this Catalonia region will receive several million of the 18 million British tourists expected to visit Spain this year.
During the packed 2 day visit co-ordinated by the foreign office, the committee met with entrepreneurs at the booming Barcelona Digital City development, with Spain’s equivalent of OFCOM (the communications regulator), with travel firm Edreams/ Opodo, with local tourism officials, with a Fintech company, with film and TV producers, with students at the IESE business school (see accompanying picture), and with many representatives of the British Chamber of Commerce.
This was a fascinating visit which left the committee members in no doubt that Barcelona is becoming an increasing threat to the UKs digital sector. The local broadband infrastructure, co-operation between the business community and local government, and the availability of investment finance all combine to make Barcelona an increasingly attractive place to live, work and do business. Highly skilled workers, investors and companies are flowing to the region. Uncertainty over Brexit is making Barcelona an even more attractive destination for digital businesses who wish to have a base within the EU. I was not surprised to hear that Barcelona is promoting itself as Europe’s San Francisco.
The committee also heard from key players in Spain’s booming tourism industry. More Britons than ever before will visit Spain this year and business leaders told us that it would be in both Spain and Britain’s interest to seek a Brexit deal that secured the low cost air routes, ensured visa free travel and addressed uncertainties around EHIC cards and mobile roaming charges – all of which help keep Spain as a much-loved value for money destination.
The committee also discussed the implications of a possible second Scottish independence referendum on local demands from Catalonia for independence from Spain – and we discussed the need to confirm as a matter of urgency the legal status of the more than 300,000 British expats currently living in Spain.
The committee will be completing its hearings in the next few weeks and aims to submit a report for consideration by the government by late Spring.