The International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, has closed its doors with a series of favorable participation figures that confirm the show’s status as a key event for the tourist industry. More than 200,000 people passed through the halls at Feria de Madrid. In the case of members of the industry, the number of visitors increased by 1.3% compared to the previous year, which represents a total figure of 116,000 trade visitors. The number of professionals attending the event from abroad increased by up to 7%.
FITUR brought together some 8,979 companies from 167 countries and regions, encompassing all kinds of tourism activity. From Spain itself, all of the Spanish Regions took part at FITUR, based on some favorable results.
New Areas of Business Designed to Boost Market Activity
Since its very first event, FITUR has pursued the objective of adapting its exhibition to new market trends and encompassing business areas that present the strongest growth potential. The forums that were inaugurated on this occasion, known as FITUR KNOW HOW & EXPORT and FITUR Wine-Based Tourism Accommodation, were witnessed a very warm reception from members of the industry. FITUR KNOW HOW & EXPORT focused on Spanish tourism know-how and the industry’s export capacity, being organised in collaboration with SEGITUR and the Spanish Foreign Trade Institute (ICEX). This event featured the participation of some 28 companies.
For its part, FITUR Wine-Based Tourism Accommodation presented twelve hotels that have their own vineyards, representing the wine-based tourist segment.
The show also maintained its commitment to present specialized sections that are both useful to professionals and which focus on different business areas. The third staging of FITUR LGBT took place, focusing on a segment that represents 10% of tourism throughout the world and 15% of overall tourism expenditure.
FITUR 2013: A Meeting Forum for the Industry
FITUR consolidated its appeal as a leading event for the tourist industry, as reflected by the attendance of more than 40 tourist ministers from around the world. The show sought to create a series of meeting and business forums designed to enhance the participation of members of the industry and provide a boost for the tourist industry. FITUR’s B2B Meetings are an example of the initiatives that were implemented in order to generate a sense of synergy.
INVESTOUR Africa brought together some 248 participants, including 13 African Tourism Ministers and 42 companies, 37 of them Spanish. Around 180 tourist projects in 32 African countries were presented. The participants expressed some high levels of satisfaction, having fulfilled their expectations and come into direct contact with potential partners for their tourism projects.
FITUR completed its trade exhibition with a packed program of conferences, debates and expert panels, serving as a forum for analysis with regard to the tourist industry. The Thirty-Third International Tourism Trade Fair kicked off the day before its inauguration with the staging of the Sixteenth Latin American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Businessmen (CIMET), which was inaugurated by the Spanish Minister for Industry, Energy and Tourism, José Manuel Soria. The event brought together some 10 Latin American tourism ministers, as well as one hundred owners and heads of chains and hotels, who sought to define the best ways of exporting their know-how to Latin America.
During the course of FITUR, the UNWTO organised various conferences, including a Conference on Accessibility within the Realm of Tourism, which was staged in collaboration with the Spanish National Organisation for the Blind, ONCE.
Following the successful results at this year’s event, the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, is already working on its next staging, which will take place between January 29 and February 2, 2014.
FITUR, www.ifema.es