Simply Abu Dhabi XXVII

2 5 0 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I B uild it and they will come, the saying goes. It certainly worked for Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia. The infrastructure constructed for the 1992 Olympics helped transform Barcelona into the one of the most attractive and popular cities in the world. Back in 1990, Barcelona was a very different place to the thriving and cosmopolitan hub it is today. Before the Olympics, tourist numbers were around 1.6 million per year. In 2016, the city attracted a mammoth 32 million visitors, with day- trippers accounting for two thirds of the total. From a neglected industrial backwater, held back under the iron rule of General Franco who resented the Catalan city’s fierce resistance during the Spanish Civil War, Barcelona has risen up and is now regularly rated amongst the top tourist destinations in the world. The benefits of the development reached everyone in the city as new roads were built, green public spaces were allocated, the sewage system improved and the city even got its own beach. Using sand imported fromEgypt, Barcelona suddenly had over three kilometres of beachfront with restaurants, bars and cafés, plus the Passeig Marítim promenade – a five kilometre-stretch of coast favoured by residents, tourists, runners, rollerbladers, segway riders, cyclists and more. Sports Tourism has taken the baton from where the Olympics left off – continuing the legacy and steadily growing over the years. In broad terms, sports tourism Fighting Fit Kicked off by the Olympics and its enduring legacy, ‘Sports Tourism’ in Barcelona is thriving. It’s the perfect place to get in shape in style and enjoy the rich Catalan culture. By Nick Rice Photography: Natacha Elmir