Barcelona will aspire to host the sailing America’s Cup for the second time in a row, a strategic commitment that aims to turn the city into the world nautical capital this decade and seal a legacy that democratizes the practice of maritime sports and completes the reform of its maritime façade.
The objective of having the champion team of the event choose Barcelona again as the venue aims to value the investments that, both from the public and private sectors, will be channeled on the occasion of the Copa del América that Barcelona will celebrate between August and October 2024 , as reported to EFE by government sources.
Becoming for eight consecutive years the world reference for the legendary competition -the third global sporting event in media audience after the Olympic Games and the Soccer World Cup- will contribute, according to these sources, to ensuring for the city that the America’s Cup leaves a legacy solid and permanent to the city.
In this sense, these sources underline the strategic role of the Barcelona Capital Náutica Foundation, an entity that brings together administrations and social organizations and that will ensure that the legacy of the competition is maintained for the future.
The underlying objective is for water sports to stop being perceived as an elitist activity and for them to be accessible at a popular level, promoting marine sciences, nautical trades from school and connecting Barcelona’s tradition of technological “startups” with the innovative boating industry.
On the other hand, the aforementioned sources point out that Barcelona aspires to become a world benchmark for the organization and hosting of global sporting events during this decade and the next.
In this line, they highlight that, in addition to the Copa del América and the option to reissue it, there is the objective of aspiring to the Athletics World Cup, being part of the venues for the Soccer World Cup to which Spain aspires in 2030 together with other countries or being able to convert Barcelona in the exit stage of the Tour de France.
As for the America’s Cup of sailing, an economic impact of 1,200 million euros and the generation of 19,000 jobs are expected, according to a study by the Pompeu Fabra University, and its extensive calendar will favor tourist income.
There are already teams that have arrived in Barcelona to prepare for the competition, and each competitor will bring an average of 150 members who will remain in the city for several months with their families, which means around 300 people for each of the six teams in contention.
The event will revitalize the seafront for the second time since the transformation of the 1992 Olympic Games and will accelerate the transformation of the Port of Barcelona with the rehabilitation of its facilities to bring the city closer to this infrastructure.
One of the underlying commitments of the administrations is to promote the blue economy by attracting companies related to the nautical sector from a sustainable point of view, where the hydrogen economy associated with navigation will play a relevant role.
The Barcelona Capital Náutica Foundation, directed by Ignasi Armengol and in which the Government, the Generalitat, the Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Global association and representatives of civil society are represented, has among its main objectives to achieve citizen involvement during the event .
