Barcelona
Working Group

Working groups provide opportunity for ETOA’s members and partners to cooperate on issues to do with the business environment for tourism in Europe. They are topic or destination focused. Activities can range from in-person meetings to ad hoc consultation and information sharing.

Their composition is not fixed and expressions of interest are welcome. We try to ensure access to insight from various business models and origin markets, and specialist expertise where applicable. For destination-focused groups, representatives from members’ local offices are especially valuable.

The Barcelona Working Group concentrates on the latest changes in the operational environment of the city. It also aims to strengthen collaboration between operators and local and regional stakeholders to support more sustainable, efficient, and innovative approaches to managing tourism.

On 9 March 2026, ETOA met online with local operators providing an opportunity to gather feedback  on coach operations following the introduction of the new Coach Access System in February 2026. Members shared insight into how implementation is working in practice, feeding into ETOA’s continued dialogue with the city authorities on topic, and reinforcing the value of collaboration between the travel trade and public sector to evolve solutions that address the access and mobility needs of residents and visitors.

On 25 September 2025 the Barcelona Working Group brought together public and private stakeholders to exchange perspectives on key operational priorities and challenges shaping tourism and mobility in the city ahead of the new Coach Access plan coming in 2026.

The presence of the Barcelona City Council  and the  Catalan Tourist Board  brought valuable regional insight, enriching the dialogue and helping to connect local and regional perspectives.