"Barcelona has the power to be a new city every day," by Sara Schiavone
Sara Schiavone, 32, is Italian. She holds a degree in Tourism and speaks six languages (including Catalan). She has lived in Porto and Girona, and next year will mark ten years in Barcelona, where she arrived to pursue a master’s in Event Management at the UB. She completed her internship at This is MED, an agency specializing in corporate nautical events and boat experiences along the Barcelona coast, where she has remained for nine years as Head of Development and Strategy.
Why did you choose Barcelona?
I had just graduated and wanted something more practical than a postgraduate program; I preferred a master’s. I studied tourism and knew I wanted to live in Spain. Those two elements alone were enough for my search for tourism master’s programs in Spain to point to Barcelona as the city of choice. I discovered that this sector goes beyond hospitality and found the Event Management program. I didn’t think twice!
What are the city’s strengths?
Barcelona has the power to be a new city every day. I’ve been here for almost ten years and have lived in different neighborhoods, and whenever someone asks me “how’s my life here,” I answer that I’ve been able to live ten different lives. The city changes and evolves in every aspect, and it pushes you to do the same with its continuous activity and offerings across all sectors.
Which aspects of the city need to be improved? How?
One that stands out above all, and one that affects me personally, is tourism—a sector I both love and struggle with in this city, experiencing it as a local and as a foreigner at the same time. Today, I believe Barcelona has lost some of its authenticity in the eyes of those who don’t know it well. We have so much more to offer, but the sheer volume of visitors we’ve had until now has given more visibility to mass offerings that lack quality. Barcelona is art, gastronomy, history, and the Mediterranean. First, we need to truly believe this ourselves, and then reflect it in what we offer tourists—without compromising quality for the sake of lower prices—and highlight it against the promotion of activities that add neither value nor prestige to the city.
What do you expect from Barcelona in the coming years?
I hope Barcelona continues on this path of renewal and expansion that we are witnessing, and, as I mentioned before, that it balances its tourist offerings to welcome anyone who has so far crossed Barcelona off their list for being too “touristy” or too “party-focused.” With the challenges that lie ahead within within the framework of Barcelona 2030 and the World Cup, I am confident we will witness a significant transformation on an urban, social, and sustainable level.
Which city do you consider to be your home city? What do you miss most?
The EuroMillions question! When you move to another city, you end up not really feeling like you belong to any one place, and at the same time, you carry a mix of both cities that becomes your new me wherever you go. My origins are the foundation of my personality and values, which I continue to believe in and which help me make both important and everyday decisions, and Barcelona represents the pillars that support the roof of my ambitions.
