Taxis are going upmarket in Barcelona to cater to the needs of tourists. According to Barcelona Tourism, Ramon Sampe who has been a taxi driver for over 30 years has now gone upmarket to cater to tourists. He traded in his taxi for a Mercedes SUV and added creature comforts like a wifi hotspot, chargers for mobile phones, daily newspapers, fresh water, child safety seats and a personalized service with intensive use of technology. He also upgraded his attire to a suit and tie.
And that has made a difference. In a country where unemployment is as high as 30%, by providing a high level of service, Ramon has not only retained his work in a highly competitive landscape but is now able to plan his work schedule and not roam the city for a ride.
Ramon has noticed that tourists increasingly stay in more diverse parts of the city, and not only in hotels but also in other alternative forms of accommodation (perhaps a sign that AirBnB is becoming popular). They also arrive with a high level of knowledge of the city – which you can have by downloading the Barcelona city guide in the Irhal app.
An interesting insight about tourists arriving in Barcelona is that the first thing they ask Ramon about Barcelona is whether it is a safe city and the second is where they can eat well. We will try to reach out to Ramon and give him a list of Halal restaurants in Barcelona so that you can be sure to have good wholesome Halal food during your next trip to Barcelona for El Classico. We cannot, however, guarantee that Barcelona will defeat Real Madrid!
