Hotel entrepreneur and former FC Barcelona president, Joan Gaspart, has left the Barcelona Tourism consortium, which he co-founded in 1993. His departure was made official at the last general council, where other changes also took place.
Joan Gaspart, 82, has ended a relationship of over three decades with Barcelona Tourism. The general council of the consortium, which met last week in the Saló de Cent at the Barcelona City Hall, approved its new composition, which included the departure of the historic hotel entrepreneur, according to sources from the entity.
Gaspart was one of the driving forces behind the consortium in 1993, alongside fellow hotelier Jordi Clos — the current president of Barcelona Tourism — and then-mayor Pasqual Maragall. The entity was established to promote the Barcelona destination following the success of the 1992 Olympic Games, at a time when the city welcomed 2.45 million annual visitors, a figure far removed from the 16 million recorded in 2025.
The public-private collaboration model represented by Barcelona Tourism was pioneering in Spain and has been replicated in other major tourist destinations. The entity is structured around three pillars: the Barcelona City Council with a 45% stake, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce with another 45%, and the Barcelona Promotion Foundation, which groups the tourism business community, holding the remaining 10%.
Gaspart chaired the executive committee of the consortium for over two decades, until 2019, and continued as an ordinary member even after the liquidation of his hotel group HUSA in 2021. His knowledge of the sector and his historical contribution were recognised by the entity, which dedicated a heartfelt tribute to him during the council meeting.
In addition to Gaspart, the hotelier Salva Vendrell has also left the executive committee and the general council, and Miquel Martí has exited the council. New members include Lluís Vendrell from the historic jeweller Unió, along with other individuals not yet officially confirmed.
Despite his departure from the consortium, Gaspart does not completely disengage from civic life. He currently serves as deputy president of the Federació de Veïns de Barcelona (FV), an alternative neighbourhood entity to the historic FAVB, which signed an agreement with the City Council last week to regulate their communication.
Gaspart's departure comes at a crucial time for tourism in Barcelona, which faces debates over saturation, the regulation of tourist accommodations, and the impact of the tourist tax. The consortium, which has managed the promotion of the city for over 30 years, will have to tackle these challenges without one of its founding figures.
For the residents of the province of Barcelona, Gaspart's exit signifies a generational change at the helm of the main tourism promotion body in the capital. This transition could pave the way for new strategies in a sector that represents a fundamental part of the local economy.
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