Barcelona’s cooling enthusiasm may affect bid for America’s Cup

Tuesday, 22 October 2024

With the celebrations in Barcelona now over, Team New Zealand faces a massive task ahead in Spain—packing down the event and starting the tough planning for the next America's Cup campaign. Lisette Reymer brings the latest updates.

Stuff is the official broadcast partner of the America's Cup 2024. Watch all races live on stuff.co.nz/americas-cup, as well as on Three and ThreeNow.

Barcelona’s City Council is less enthusiastic about hosting a second America’s Cup, possibly affecting how much would be offered to Team New Zealand, according to a Spanish newspaper.

There has been a “flirtation” for months that has not materialised and in recent weeks the interest even seems to have cooled,” said the report in El Pais.

Sources from the Barcelona City Council were reported as expressing interested in hosting the 38th Cup but only if “economic conditions” changed.

The city was one party of a multi-layered bid that paid a reported $130 million in cash to Team New Zealand for the rights to host the 37th Cup, which the defenders won 7-2 over INEOS Britannia.

The funding was made up of contributions by the city, the Catalan Region, the Spanish government and the private sector.

If Barcelona sought to host a second cup, the city’s reported view may affect how much it would contribute, rather than necessarily prevent a second bid.

The six skippers for the 37th America's Cup overlooking the host city Barcelona

El Pais noted that at the big closing ceremony for the cup, the city’s mayor Jaume Collboni, who took office only last year, congratulated Team New Zealand for their victory, but did not go any further.

“Today Barcelona celebrates your success with pride,” said Collboni before thanking Dalton for his commitment to Barcelona.

The paper said the driving factors behind the bid lodged at the last minute in 2021, was to lift an economic slump, and help revitalise rundown parts of the public waterfront - both of which have been achieved.

Barcelona City mayor Jaume Collboni speaking at the America's Cup closing ceremony

El Pais reported that the City Council perceived that the Barcelonans see tourism as an increasingly bigger problem, and the relationship of the America's Cup with international visitors is “already generating some doubts in some offices of the City Council”.

Official figures in Barcelona showed tourism numbers have recovered to be above where they were in 2019, prior to the global Covid-19 pandemic.

The council has responded to public pressure over the cost and shortage of housing, by promising to revoke up to 10,000 licences for private visitor accommodation through platforms such as AirBnb, to return more housing to locals.

Team New Zealand has said only that the question of a future venue could take months to resolve.