Now it's time for a 'change in trend'

PalmFirst it was 'sustainability' (with the mantra of 'social, environmental, and economic'). Then, 'restraint'. And this year it's 'trend shift'. The Catalan government tries to push a new buzzword each tourist season, and at Fitur it was clear they were very proud of it, of the 'trend shift', as if the government were responsible for it. I don't mind saying it: you only have to spend a little time near the Minister of Tourism to realize that it's a huge achievement if he even learns the answers he's supposed to give in Parliament. For him to be able to influence international trends in mobility and visitor arrivals would be a miracle of biblical proportions.

Saying there's a trend shift could be for three reasons: deliberately trying to deceive the public; sincerely stating it because we've been fed a lie; or not really understanding what's happening.

Here another buzzword comes into play: deseasonalizing. If we go by a classic definition, it meant that it was necessary to reduce the unbearable peak of the high season and redistribute (this concept is paramount) a few hundred thousand lost tourists to other, cooler months of the year. The Government has perverted this definition, and now the aim is to fill the entire year with the celebration of tourism as if all twelve months were August (thank you, Guillermo Bezzina, for materializing this idea so simply and brilliantly).

As if it were a simple mathematical operation, since visitor numbers don't increase as much in high season as in low season (important: they continue to increase in high season), we already have the whole picture: we change the trend, we deseasonalize, we are sustainable, we contain, we are the best, the most beautiful, and peace in the world. Said and done!

Tourism is a global phenomenon, and it is very difficult to influence it from a regional administration. Even less so if no decisions are made, as is the case here. What important decision has been made beyond bombarding citizens' leaders with speeches and more speeches? Climate change has probably had a much greater influence than our peculiar advisor, and many people are unwilling to spend their holidays settling in and on the verge of suffering heatstroke.

In any case, 2025 also broke the visitor record. I'm beginning to suspect that this 'change in trend' will mean we won't have a single month to breathe.