The research has been carried out by BBVA within the framework of the Urban Discovery project. To arrive at this information, specialists have analyzed 413 million banking card transactions realized within the year. As a result, they now have a database of statistics on the major expenses of both local residents and tourists in Madrid, Barcelona, and Mexico cities. These statistics help to present a more in-depth overview of life in the aforementioned cities.
In Barcelona, the central districts, such as Horta, el Carmel, and Nou Barris turned out to be the areas with the highest concentration of commercial activity, while the recently built “bedroom districts” known for their major urbanization, including Vila Olímpica and Diagonal Mar, demonstrated the lowest levels of commercial activity. In the latter districts, payments were most active on the weekends. Nightlife, restaurant visits, shopping, and weekend leisure activities are concentrated mostly in Sant Antoni, Poble Sec, and Vila Olímpica, with the cultural leisure activities focused primarily in the Gòtic and El Born areas. The majority of brand new companies are situated in Poble Nou and Diagonal Mar.
Tourists and local residents under 45 years old tend to shop in Gràcia, Raval, and the beach-adjacent zones, especially in Poble Sec. Young people prefer Barri Gòtic, and those over 45 years of age tend to shop in Sants, Les Corts, Pedralbes, Sarrià, Sant Gervasi, Vallcarca, and Guinardó.
In spite of the fact that Montjuïc and Park Güell are certainly among the most crucial tourist attractions to the city, due to their remoteness from the city center, they did not make the list of the highest commercial activity zones.