Madrid (AFP)
Warnings from employers' organizations, countries warning their citizens to go to Barcelona: Catalonia, a rich industrial and tourist region, fears the economic impact of demonstrations and the independence strike.
- The worried tourism
Australia, France, United Kingdom, Portugal, Germany and the United States have urged their citizens to be cautious during their travels in Catalonia after the violent protests provoked by the condemnation on Monday to heavy prison terms of nine separatists, which worries the tourism sector which weighs 11% of regional GDP.
These troubles will have "a direct impact on tourism and trade" in the last quarter, fears the association of traders Barcelona Oberta. It recalls the precedent of the referendum of illegal self-determination in October 2017 where tourist arrivals had dropped by 5% and the turnover of professionals from 5 to 10% in the most visited region of Spain.
The city council of Barcelona assesses more than 1.5 million euros the direct damage of the demonstrations, (700 garbage containers burned, cobblestones ripped out, signal lights damaged ...), without taking into account the night from thursday to friday .
Two cruise ships of the German tour operator TUI each carrying 2,500 people have canceled their passage this weekend, out of a total of 20 boats expected, according to the port of Barcelona.
The congress sector, which is very important for Barcelona, which hosts the world's largest mobile congress in February, however, was operating normally on Friday, with no scheduled cancellations, according to the two main organizations in the sector.
- Transport: 25 million losses per day
With almost 20% of Spain's GDP, Catalonia relies on a powerful export industry, particularly in the agri-food and automotive sectors.
Any impact in this area, as well as on road transport that allows the bulk of exports, is therefore closely monitored.
The Spanish Confederation of Freight Transport estimates that losses caused by road cuts organized by demonstrators amount to 25 million euros a day. Truckers have asked the regional government to allow them to use secondary roads to limit economic damage.
Car maker Seat has shut down its Martorell plant near Barcelona from Thursday afternoon until Friday night, fearing that more than 6,500 employees will not be able to get to work because of the general strike.
This stop will delay the production of 3,200 cars, according to the group.
Barcelona's wholesale market, which exports about a third of its products (fruits and vegetables, fish, meat) internationally, was idling on Friday, as many wholesalers and buyers dropped out of the market. a spokeswoman for Mercabarna.
- Bosses condemn violence
The main employers' organizations in the region have condemned the violence, warning against the risk for "economic activity and the international image of Barcelona" and also regretting the "direct attacks against businesses".
In 2017, the crisis of the illegal referendum had weighed on employment and consumption and pushed many companies to transfer their administrative headquarters out of Catalonia, a movement driven by the most emblematic groups in the region, the bank Caixabank, the energy company Naturgy and the motorway concessionaire Abertis.
© 2019 AFP