This archive report was first published on 19 October 2019.
Published on October 19, 2019, as protests against the Spanish government's handling of the Catalan independence crisis continued to escalate, the region's economy was bracing for a significant impact.
With 14,000 striking students marching through the city centre, traffic was brought to a standstill on at least seven regional highways and nine major roads, while Spanish carmaker Seat halted production at its factory near Barcelona, which employs 6,500 people.
The city's iconic Sagrada Familia basilica was also forced to close its doors after protesters massed outside, and luxury boutiques along the Paseo de Gracia were shuttered, with patches of blackened tarmac serving as a grim reminder of the four days of running battles between police and protesters.
Business organizations in the region, which accounts for around a fifth of Spain's GDP, were sounding the alarm about the economic impact of the protests and the general strike.
Barcelona Oberta, a business association, warned that the unrest would have a direct impact on tourism and business, recalling the failed referendum of October 2017 when tourist arrivals fell by 5.0 percent and turnover fell between 5.0 and 10 percent in Spain's most visited region.
Barcelona city council estimated that the first three days of clashes had cost an estimated 1,575,000 euros ($1,755,000) in damage, with over 700 large wheelie bins torched and mob violence damaging traffic lights, street signs, trees, and the city's bike-share service.
Two cruise ships run by German tour operator TUI, each carrying 2,500 people, cancelled a scheduled stopover this weekend, although 18 others were to arrive as planned, the port authorities said.
The region's economy, which is heavily dependent on exports, was also expected to suffer significant losses due to roadblocks across the region, with the CETM, which represents the transportation industry, predicting losses of 25 million euros per day.
