Economic Impact of the Fira in Manresa and Bages

According to the perception study carried out by Bages University Foundation (FUB) on the economic impact for Manresa and the region of Fira Mediterrània, the event is popular, well-known and well regarded by local people. The results have been published at a press conference at the Manresa Chamber of Commerce, which also presented the new President of the Fira Executive Committee, Lluís Puig Gordi. Mr Puig, who is the new director of the Centre for Promotion of Catalan Folk and Traditional Culture at the Department of Culture in the Generalitat of Catalonia, was accompanied by Marc Bernadich, coordinator of the study at Bages University Foundation.

 

The ratings obtained from people who took part in the survey after visiting Fira far exceeded all initial expectations. 91% of people who came to Manresa for last year's Fira would recommend the experience. Following the maxim that the more famous an event is and the more interest it generates, the more money people spend, the multiplier effect of its economic impact shows that every euro invested last year produced an immediate return of €8 for the town of Manresa and the Bages region. 

 

Between 88,000 and 107,000 visitors

 

The FUB study found that shows performed during the 2010 Fira attracted audiences of between 88,217 and 107,368 people, 32,297 of whom were from outside the Bages region. The study also showed that an overwhelming 98% of people who knew about Fira automatically associated it with Manresa.  

 

Direct expenditure in Manresa and the Bages region (meaning the amount of money declared by users themselves) for the 2010 event was around the €1,637,038-€2,193,906 mark, including the €333,000 that Fira invested by contracting local and regional services and goods suppliers. According to the study, local people spent an average of €17 per day; people from other places in the region, €21 and visitors from outside the Bages area, €24.6. 

 

An impact of between €2,400,000 and €2,959,000 

 

The final economic impact adds what is technically referred to as additional expenditure, obtained by estimating visitor numbers using the differential of the amount of rubbish generated in the vicinity of the Fira site, which rose by 7%. Additional expenditure is added to direct expenditure, giving a final figure of between €2,402,150 and €2,959,018, which translates into a return of €8 per euro invested. According to the study conclusions, these figures show considerably better results than findings from similar independent studies.

 

In terms of overall evaluation, the views of survey participants seemed to suggest that, although people generally looked forward to the event, they tended to appreciate Fira Mediterrània more afterwards than they did before the event or while it was actually being held. The study found that people who visited Fira and purchased tickets (a quarter of all users) were more demanding than the rest and showed a great deal more interest in the event. They were also much more familiar with the Fira programme. The study also found a balance difference between Fira's position as a product aimed at Catalan audiences and Fira as a product that might arouse interest outside the country. The survey organisers have highlighted this as one of some future improvements to be considered, ensuring that Fira's scope and target audience is defined as clearly as possible.

 

Working methodology

 

The survey carried out by FUB involved 716 interviews, a much higher number than normal for this kind of survey. To design the survey questions, FUB interviewed various cultural agents not connected with the organisation, the majority of whom were based outside Manresa. 

 

The results of the study carried out by FUB in 2010 are complemented by extracts from work produced by the University of Deusto, focusing solely on the impact felt by the arts and cultural industry, and by Barcelona Provincial Council, analysing the impact of Fira visitors on Manresa's tourism sector.