Will this global crisis affect the good reputation of Barcelona and his Metropolitan area, one of the strengths of a city that in recent years had successfully emerged from several successive situations conducive to anxiety? The Asociation Barcelona Global The opinion of the members of its International Council, professionals, executives and executives from all walks of life who live and work abroad and who act as ambassadors and talent recruiters for the Catalan capital, is pressing. The third wave of this survey of a hundred of these professionals shows that a majority of interviewees, 58% believe that this reputation will not be affected by the crisis of the Covid-19. However, a high percentage, 36.6% believe that the pandemic and the management that is being carried out will affect the image of Barcelona.
The Survey Covid-19 tries to know the international perception of the management of this health, social and economic crisis in Spain. The first wave took place from April 2 to 7; the second, the week of April 11 to 18, and the third, between April 24 and May 3.
The association considers it key to demonstrate that the city is ready to welcome talent
Although the percentage of opinion-makers who fear that this planetary crisis will take its toll on Barcelona’s reputation, this perception has been losing some force. Thus, in the first survey, almost half of the members of this Barcelona Global international council (45.3%) argued that, indeed, the pandemic and its derivatives would weaken the image of the city, while in a similar proportion, expressed those who claimed that it did not have to affect it.
(Raúl Camañas)
Eight out of ten interviewed in the third Survey Covid (80.5%) indicate that the media in their respective cities are reporting the situation in Spain, although as the crisis has spread throughout the world the Focus of interest has been weakening. More than half of the respondents (56.1%) value that the media treat crisis management in a “neutral” way, an upward trend since the first installment of the survey. The economic situation in Spain is what stands out the most in the media, in addition to the health crisis. And, for the first time, in the third chapter of this survey, interest in tourism appears ahead of politics. Likewise, the number of respondents who agree that the international media project a “neutral” image of the health system in Barcelona is growing.
It is evident that this sudden crisis will test the strength of the Barcelona brand. And that, once the worst of the pandemic is overcome, social and economic reconstruction will require additional efforts from all. “Being a global city implies managing our international reputation professionally and with resources, transferring what we are to the world: a friendly, safe, enterprising, open, connected, with identity, innovative, creative, knowledgeable and hard-working city. A city of talent ”, reflects the CEO of Barcelona Global, Mateu Hernández.
This private entity, which participates in the city pact promoted by the City Council, sets itself as a short-term job “to transfer that Barcelona has prepared to give its citizens the maximum guarantees of security in everything we do, something that will also give comfort to those who visit us, ”says Hernández. “It will be necessary,” he adds, “to have in place the mechanisms for identifying and attracting talent and investment that will help us to overcome the crisis as soon as possible, and for this we must be able to explain and share that Barcelona is ready to welcome creative, entrepreneurial talent, investor and researcher.
Also looking to the future, Barcelona Global is committed to “explaining to the world the experience of traveling here to walk, eat, do business, visit our attractions, attend concerts, parties or exhibitions, or simply enjoy in one of the cities most authentic in Europe ”. An objective that will require public investment and, above all, “the collaboration of all, the small craftsman, the entrepreneur of our incubators, the fair that exceeds expectations, the charming restaurant or hotel, the competitive factory, the research center of frontier, the avant-garde festival or the revealing exhibition ”.
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