THE LEISURE TRAFFIC MARKET SEEN FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A METROPOLITAN OPERATOR

摘要

TMB's business diversification strategy was first set in motion more than 20 years ago, through the creation of the "Barcelona Bus Turistic" sightseeing service. This business model has been proved to be a powerful and dynamic element of sales activities, due to both its direct contribution to adding value to the city's cultural-leisure-tourist sector operators structure and to regular transport itself. The important positive results of this source of business have had a direct benefit on both the financing of tourist promotion in the city of Barcelona -thanks to the participation agreement formalised for its organisation and diffusion with "Turisme de Barcelona", the entity responsible for promoting the city as a tourist destination- and on the financing of public transport provided by TMB. All this has led to citizens paying less tax with respect to subsidies for the public transport deficit. Taking advantage of the scale economies arising from the existence in the main business of TMB, of a formal structure for operating public transport has had a lever effect on the business itself, and contributed to its rapid consolidation and an improved adaptability of demand than what is required of a business that is in itself founded on a marked tourist component.