Operator News
Spain – Report on BCN World sheds more light on local impact
By Phil - 13 March 2017
The construction of BCN World (now known as the Tourist and Recreation Complex) will generate between 9,000 and 13,000 direct jobs during its construction, which will be phased in over a period of around six years according to a study released by the Faculty Geography and Tourism at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (The public university of Tarragona) and presented by Professors Juan Antonio Duro and Maria Lobo.
The report, commissioned by Catalonia’s Department of Territory and Sustainability , estimates that the tourist centre could create between 2,000 and 4,000 direct jobs when it is in operation and a total of 48,000 jobs in all if indirect jobs are included. In addition a large number of high paying positions will be included. Professor D Duro said: “It’s not just waiters, there will also be positions in marketing and middle management.”
The authors of the report presented their findings last Thursday at the Catalan Association of Economists (Col•legi d’Economistes) in Tarragona. Not only will the new complex increase overnight stays in the area by as much as 21.9 per cent but it will add value to the area as a whole and is expected to multiply the number of visitors from outside the European Union which currently stands at around 8 per cent.
The study argues that, once the CRT is running at full capacity, it will generate between €3,900 and €5,400m per year in the Camp de Tarragona. The study also found that the addition of the new complex could add as many as 3 to 5m visitors to the area regardless of whether they stay overnight. These visitors could spend between €850m and €1,145m a year.
The Urban-Development Master Plan (PDU) for the upcoming for the Tourist and Recreation Complex was approved earlier this year and the project will change the tourist reality of the Costa Dorado (Golden Coast), which is characterised by seasonality and domestic tourism.
Currently there are four casinos in Catalonia and one or two more large scale casinos will be part of the newly established Tourist and Recreation Complex. Both Melco and Hard Rock are competing to operate a casino each while the Peralada Group in partnership with the Genting Group are also competing to be the sole operator and would run a single large scale casino in the resort. The three companies have deposited a bond of €2.5m each committing to buy land where the hotels, casinos and shopping areas will be built. According to local news reports the winning operator will be announced at the end of May.
