Turisme de Barcelona’s network of offices is now able to deal with enquiries in 25 different languages.
130 members of staff, in its 25 offices and at various different mobile information points, attend to a total of 3.4 million people each year, including tourists and local citizens.
In addition to its permanent offices, Turisme de Barcelona has information points at the port’s four terminals and at the World Trade Centre, with timetables that coincide with cruise ship arrivals. Tourist information points can also be found at large-scale congresses like the Mobile World Congress (MWC). Furthermore, with the inauguration of the underground system’s new Line 9, new information points have been opened at the stations at Terminals 1 and 2 of Barcelona Airport.
Thanks to this network of information points, certain emblematic buildings in Barcelona could be renovated and given a new life. The tourism office in Plaza de Cataluña, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is located on the site of former public urinals built in 1927, which had fallen into disuse and been abandoned. The office in Plaza de Colón, under the statue of Columbus, has transformed what used to be a neglected, under-used space into a highly original welcoming spot that now also specializes in wine tourism.
Turisme de Barcelona also has a team of staff at two of the city’s police stations to assist tourists in the event of a problem during their stay. This is a service unique to Barcelona, available nowhere else in the world. Not only is it very popular, but it is helping to boost Barcelona’s image abroad as a safe city. As a complementary service, a team of nine members of staff works at a call centre, answering requests for information from visitors and residents by telephone and email ([email protected]).
http://www.barcelonaturisme.com
