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2 | www.travelweekly-asia.com Published by NORTHSTAR TRAVEL MEDIA SINGAPORE PTE LTD SINGAPORE 91 Bencoolen Street, #05-08 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652 • TEL: +65-6801-0450 FAX: +65-6801-0469 BEIJING Room 024, Building 8, Qijiayuan Diplomatic Compound, No.9 Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District 100600, China • TEL: +8610-8532 3611 | FAX: +8610-8532 5293 SHANGHAI Room 2553, The Headquarters Building, No.168 Central XiZhang Road, Shanghai 200001, China • TEL: +8621-5179 8360 | FAX: +8621-5179 8360 Travel Weekly Asia is published on a monthly basis by Northstar Travel Media Singapore Pte Ltd. Located at 91 Bencoolen Street, #05-08 Sunshine Plaza, Singapore 189652. All rights reserved. Volume 9 Issue 10 Please address all subscription mail to the above address, Fax +852 3020 5794, or email travelweeklyasia@asia-ad.net. Online Subscription: www.travelweekly-asia.com/subscribe For reprints or copyright permission contact Travel Weekly Asia at +65 6801 0450 or email to twasia-salesmtg@travelweekly.com Printed by TIMES PRINTERS PRIVATE LIMITED (L008/08/2017) Travel Weekly Asia is BPA audited, with 11,100 print circulation and 23,144 eNewsletter circulation as of Dec 31, 2017. Around the world, BPA is the preferred third-party auditor for advertiser-supported business publications (including print and digital editions). BPA verifi es paid, controlled, or any combination of paid and controlled circulation, and reports the data in a single Brand Report. Founded in 1931 BPA Worldwide is an independent, not-for-profi t, self-regulating organization governed by a tripartite Board. TALKING POINT Eric Moya is a Travel Weekly USA destinations editor. He joined the publication as copy editor in 2008. From 1998 to 2003, he was a copy editor at the Baltimore Sun, during which he worked on the newspa- per's metro, national and business copy desks and copy edited Justice Undone, a 2002 Pulitzer-nominated investigative series about Baltimore's high rate of unsolved homicides. 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Kemp CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Lisa Cohen PRESIDENT, TRAVEL GROUP Robert G. Sullivan CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER Matthew Yorke EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER David Blansfi eld EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT/EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Arnie Weissmann SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT/CHIEF CONTENT DIRECTOR Lori Cioffi SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, HUMAN RESOURCES Janine L. Bavoso SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & PRODUCTION Roberta Muller SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, IT INFRASTRUCTURE & OPERATIONS Rich Mastropietro VICE PRESIDENT, INFORMATION PRODUCTS GROUP Sheila Rice VICE PRESIDENT, DATABASE PRODUCTS Elizabeth Koesser TRAVEL WEEKLY EVENTS PRESIDENT, TRAVEL GROUP Robert G. Sullivan SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EVENTS, TRAVEL GROUP Alicia Evanko-Lewis It's hardly uncommon to hear English spoken in Barcelona. In fact, I'd wager it's neck and neck with Catalan — not Spanish — as the language I've overheard most often during my two visits to the city. But one English speaker in particular caught my ear as my group navigated a crosswalk on the way back to our host hotel, the Iberostar Paseo de Gracia. "So many people," came the exasperated observation from behind me. I turned: the ruddy, bearded, American-accented speaker wore tan, knee-length shorts, a baby-blue polo and aviators. "I thought tourist season was over," he concluded, petulantly. It was the weekend of Barcelona's La Merce celebration, which draws millions of revellers every year. Besides that, apparently cruise ships had caught on to the hype as well. Many of them were making calls every day during my group's fi ve-day press trip. But it did make me wonder: what does low season look like in Barcelona these days? Is there a low season for tourists in Barcelona to begin with? Surely, my visit in May 2017 wasn't low season? I remember walking by the Sagrada Familia, famously under construction since 1882, and feeling overwhelmed by the throngs lined up to get inside — and possibly even more overwhelmed by the crowds around the perimeter who were content to take selfi es with the church as their backdrop. Just as during my last visit, Barcelona: Forget the crowd, enjoy the experience there were huge crowds gathered at Cerveseria Catalana, all patiently waiting for their chance to taste jamon iberico, calamari and other tapas classics. Last year, I was dining solo and perfectly content to fi nd an alternative eatery. This time, the folks at Iberostar pulled a few strings to shorten our group's wait time. As I'm writing this, I'm Googling 'Barcelona tourism'. One needn't look beyond the fi rst page of results to get the gist: 'How tourism is killing Barcelona,' says one headline; 'What not to do in Barcelona as a tourist,' offers another. Barcelona's struggle with overtourism doesn't seem likely to cool down anytime soon, and neither does the world's fascination with the city, no matter how many 'alternatives' they might be presented. I imagine Barcelona's low season will continue to be the envy of other destinations' peak seasons. Perhaps that polo-shirted pedestrian will take CNN's advice and fi nd joy in less-touristed cities in Spain. Meanwhile, those with their hearts set on Barcelona should be aware that they'll likely encounter crowds at the city's main attractions and its top restaurants, and perhaps even at its less popular sights and eateries. And as so many others have, they should also be prepared to have their hearts captured by the city. This was my second visit, and I'd eagerly return for a third.

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