Bonus Cultura vouchers generate over eight million euros of business for the sector
Lasting a year and a half and involving a total investment of 2,987,195 euros, the Bonus Cultura campaign helped stimulate the recovery of cultural consumption in times of the pandemic, as well as business activity linked to the creative industries. The areas which benefitted most were bookshops and theatres.
The campaign was launched with the collaboration of five organisations in the culture sector: the Catalan Association of Theatre Businesses (ADETCA), the Catalan Association of Concert Venues (ASACC), the Catalan Book Chamber, the Catalan Booksellers Guild and the Catalan Cinema Guild. TRESC also took part as the organisation managing the online logistics platform.
In all, 296,084 vouchers were validated around the 191 participating cultural venues and establishments in Barcelona:109 bookshops, 34 theatres, 17 cinemas, 16 music halls, 10 record shops, 3 music festivals and 2 film festivals.
The initiative started in July 2020 in response to the exceptional situation for this sector, hit by the effects of the Covid-19 health crisis. During the first stage, 78,373 vouchers were validated, each worth 40 euros: 30 euros was paid by the user and the other 10 euros by the City Council.
Second edition
The City Council relaunched the Bonus Cultura campaign in March 2021, adding a 20-euro format and maintaining the proportion of 25% paid for by the City Council. In the period through to December 2021 a further 217,702 vouchers were validated.
The money invested in the project in 2021 came from the special economic recovery fund, promoted by the Economic Response Coordination Centre (CECORE). The centre was set up by the City Council in response to the pandemic and allocated 87 million euros to measures to reactivate the city economy in 2021.
