Barcelona’s TurisTIC Forum on 8 June 2026 set out how digital innovation and cultural tourism can help spread visitor activity across Catalonia. Organised by the Eurecat technology centre and promoted by the Catalan government, Barcelona Provincial Council and Barcelona City Council, the event focused on artificial intelligence, data and new visitor experiences.
This year’s forum centred on culture, in line with Barcelona’s World Capital of Architecture status and the centenary of Antoni Gaudí’s death. It also coincided with the blessing of the new Sagrada Família tower and the 150th anniversary of Pau Casals’ birth.
Genís Roca, an expert in digital culture and business development, said artificial intelligence is a cultural change and a new generation of tools that should support different relationships with the public and a different way of managing destinations and facilities. He also stressed the need for integrated public-private data ecosystems and new data governance.
Daniel Altimiras, president of Eurecat, said advanced digital solutions can support product innovation, new experience formats and more personalised services in cultural tourism. Soledad Bravo, manager of tourism services for Barcelona Provincial Council, said the Barcelona destination has an opportunity to consolidate itself as a quality, diverse and accessible cultural tourism destination. José Antonio Donaire, commissioner for sustainable tourism management at Barcelona City Council, said cultural tourists tend to learn, respect heritage and spread their impact across the territory rather than concentrate in the same places.
Cristina Lagé, director general of tourism for the Catalan government, said tourism intelligence should be used as a strategic tool in Catalonia. She added that the sector should keep advancing digitalisation and use artificial intelligence to strengthen competitiveness, sustainability and quality. For more Catalonia-wide coverage, see our news page.
The 14th TurisTIC Forum, held at the TBS Education Auditorium, brought together tourism companies, technology firms, institutions, associations and specialist guilds. Sessions covered regenerative tourism through the Regenera4Med project, acoustic reconstruction and historical soundscapes, and digital reconstructions used in cases such as Notre-Dame de Paris and Palau Moja.
The forum also featured a pilot from the Moco Museum Barcelona using predictive models and artificial intelligence to improve climate control, lighting, visitor flow and conservation. Other examples included immersive technologies, virtual reality through the Catalan Cultural Heritage Agency’s Els Ulls de la Història programme, digital twins, augmented reality, lighting installations and gamification. More on tourism policy and innovation can be found in our latest news.
