What is so special about Barcelona?

Jonathan Schmitt

Managing Director at RTAdmc & Events, Spain

Barcelona is one of the most notorious and desired cities in the world and you would believe there are no more secrets for this Mediterranean metropolis to hide. Seeing Barcelona through the eyes of a local can actually reveal the real spirit of the city, which can be easily overlooked by a “hungry” tourist. What is so special about Barcelona though? Jonathan Schmitt, Managing Director at RTAdmc & Events Spain, is here to tell us and to share his personal story in this wonderful city.

Jonathan is born and raised in Málaga, Spain, coming from an Italian mother and a German father. “Both my parents emigrated from their countries, when they were 20 years old and went to Spain to work in the tourism industry. And this is how they met, here in Spain. My mother founded our DMC, in 1988, and myself, 20 years ago, in 2001, I moved to Barcelona and entered the company. Nowadays, we have several offices in Spain: in Madrid, Ibiza, Málaga, Valencia, but our master ship, like we say, is the one in Barcelona. I love this city; of course, I could have stayed in Málaga, which is also a very nice place to live, but I wanted to be in a cosmopolitan city like Barcelona.”

Barcelona is a great city, and it is not just Jonathan saying that, but all its residents and visitors would agree too. There are several reasons making Barcelona the attraction it is today. “For me, these are the mild climate and the location on the Mediterranean Sea, the many architectural highlights, the wide cultural appeal, the choice of shops and restaurants. You have the choice to do summer and winter activities – in the summer you go to the beach, and then, one and a half hours away, you are in the Pyrenees, where you can go skiing. For me, this is the perfect mix. And, of course, I cannot miss mentioning the relaxed vibe that makes you feel even more welcome.”

When asked what motivated him to build a career in tourism and events, Jonathan admits that he followed his parents’ steps. “My parents already worked in tourism, since always, so I said – I like tourism, I want to work in tourism, but in the events industry. My father told me: Son, if you want to enter the tourism and events industry, be aware of one thing: working in this industry is having a champagne life with a beer salary. In other words, you must be passionate, because it’s not about the money. You can do money in any industry if you are smart. This is a very hard job sometimes, you have to work long hours in the night, start early in the morning, but if you are passionate, then it’s ok. Another important thing is that in order to do business in Barcelona and in this industry, I needed to be connected, in whatever job I should do, at an international level. And what can be more international than making associations and companies across all industries feel welcome in Spain? So, working global, but keep it local is our day-by-day life.”

How to keep it glocal in Barcelona? We are talking about such a big city that, fortunately, there are still many hidden gems to surprise even the most seasoned visitors, either everyday tourists or business people. “One of my favorite places in the city that you won’t find in any of the regular tourist books is, for example, the Carretera de les Aigües. This is a 10-kilometerlong hiking trail in the Collserola Mountains where you can find the most breath-taking views of the city. A place where you can take a break from the very busy and somewhat tiresome areas of the city. It is a place where many Barcelonians come to play sports. Nearby, you can also find one of the most charming monuments of Antoni Gaudí: Torres de Bellesguard, an early work by the famous architect, where you can see his very personal interpretation of the Gothic style.”

Jonathan witnessed the evolution of the tourism and events industry since 2001. Some things changed, other remained somewhat the same. “When I entered this industry 20 years ago, I remember how important the personal contact with people was. Sometimes I lost some pitches, huge congresses or events, just because my competitor was the friend of a friend of a friend – something that happens often in Spain. The connections with suppliers are some of the most important relations in this industry: being friends with the director of a hotel and so on, getting access to things that normally can’t be accessed. But I noticed how the personal relations and contacts started to get lost in time – especially now in the last 2 years, due to the pandemic. On the other hand, the impact of technology in our sector increased and it will further increase, with the risk of losing human touch, I may say. Even so, you can use technology to your advantage and focus on a niche area of tailormade events. And the sustainability – everyone talks about sustainability – we started it two years before the pandemic, just to make it an everyday reality for me and my team, especially. Learning how or what it means to be really sustainable is important for us and we are starting to implement a real sustainable mechanism. I’m honest, we are just at the beginning, but we are very serious in our transformation process.”

Leading a tourism and events company comes with a lot of challenges and requires endless doses of creativity and strategy. Why would anyone choose Jonathan and his team to work with them on organizing any event in Spain? With a history of 33 years, his company gained a reputation and, more importantly, a financial solidity and a strong company culture. “History on one side, on the other side, we provide tailor made solutions. Maybe I don’t have 80 clients from Europe, I have 50, but they all receive the best personalized services. Creativity is important. Everyone says they are either creative or sustainable, but we are both. For the creative part, we dedicated two persons from our company just to do the research for new products. Other companies have a mixture – the project manager can do the quoting, or prepare an event, then do a site inspection, but we have two persons who just visit the sites, all over Spain, looking for new products.

For example, now with the pandemic, the events got smaller, and we started to look for boutique hotels, villas, fincas in Spain, which can be very versatile. So, adapting fast to the needs of the market is what differentiates us in this industry.”

Best places to spend your time in Barcelona?

Barcelona's city beaches! No matter the time of year, the beaches won’t disappoint. Even in winter, it can be sunny enough to sit outside and enjoy a meal at one of the seaside restaurants. The city has a five-kilometer stretch of coastline, home to nine different beaches. There’s Sant Sebastià with its range of upscale restaurants, Somorrostro lined with hip nightclubs, and Nova Icària with its water sports center and beach volleyball.

Another gem: Palau de la Música Catalana. Barcelona's prettiest concert hall is a gaudy rosecovered wonderland, located along a claustrophobic, densely packed street in the Gothic Quarter. It was designed between 1905 and 1908 by Lluís Domènech i Montaner – an architect who was just as famous as Gaudí at the time. Musicians love its acoustics, tourists love its unique design.

Special monuments to visit in Barcelona?

Recently opened before the COVID-19 pandemic, Casa Vicens is one of Gaudí's earliest architectural works. It was built between 1883 and 1885, and it was declared a Historic-Artistic Monument in 1969 and a World Heritage Site in 2005.

Food market recommendations in Barcelona?

La Boqueria might be the most famous of Barcelona’s food markets, but each neighborhood has its own, so there are several excellent ones to choose from. La Boqueria is the oldest and one of the most atmospheric, but in recent years, more stalls have given over to things such as tropical fruit shakes and novelty candy, rather than traditional products. For a more authentic vibe, visit the modern Mercat Santa Caterina with its multicolored wavy roof or the grand Mercat de Sant Antoni, which reopened in 2018, after nine years of renovations.

Best dishes to try in Barcelona?

The best paella in Barcelona can be found at 7 Portes Restaurant. This restaurant has a heritage of more than 175 years, cooking with high quality ingredients to offer various versions of paella. Try an interesting Noodle Paella flavored with allioli sauce; Paella Manolete, packed with a succulent selection of meats, or if you just can't wait to dig in, order a Rich Man's Paella, which comes de-shelled / de-boned.

Bonus for the real fans of tapas: Tapas originated in Spain, but they've made their way around the world, and these small plates are often better than any dinner. They're a social way of eating and meant to incite conversation, usually found in bar and pub menus. I particularly like Bodega La Puntual – authentic food made with excellent quality ingredients in a place where history is infused in its walls.