ISABEL GARCÍA Madrid
Madrid
Updated Wednesday, January 24, 2024-00:18
Fair Do you want to sleep in a design suite inside a Fitur stand?
Agenda The destinations that will be talked about in 2024 (and that you will want to visit)
The Fair (in capital letters) of tourism, Fitur, is back, reaching record numbers this year - with an expected attendance of 250,000 people -, confirming not only that it is the largest event of its kind on the planet - it far surpasses the fairs in
London or Berlin,
the other references—but the sector is experiencing a historic moment.
With these bases on the table we enter its
44th edition , which starts today at the
Ifema Madrid
fairgrounds
and will end next Sunday the 28th with all kinds of proposals to travel the globe.
A BOOMING SECTOR
The international data accompany.
And a lot, since in 2023 the number of travelers around the planet has already reached 88% of 2019 levels, with around
1.3 billion movements.
In this way, it almost touches the figures before the pandemic, according to the first number of the Barometer of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
And the full recovery is expected to arrive in 2024 thanks to the
liberalization of accumulated demand
, the increase in air connectivity and an improvement in
Asian markets and destinations
, which were the last to open their borders to travelers.
Visitors walking through the fairgrounds.
RECORD DATA
A total of
9,000 companies
, 152 countries, 806 exhibitors... These are the figures handled by the new edition of the fair, with an increase in participants of 7% compared to the previous one, especially in the international arena, with 96 representations destination officers.
As for attendees,
150,000 professionals
are expected to arrive between today and Friday and more than 100,0000 members of the general public during the weekend.
The exhibition area also increases, since this year it will occupy nine pavilions (1 and 3 to 10; the only one that will not be used for the fair will be 2), one more than in 2023, totaling more than
140,000 square meters
.
In this way, it is expected to equal and even exceed the figures of the edition before the pandemic, that of January 2020, when there was a historic attendance of nearly
250,000 visitors,
the same number that are now expected.
Ecuador as a partner
The Latin American state is the partner of this edition of the fair and comes ready to show the
four jewels included in its territory: mountains (with two cities, Quito and Cuenca, a
UNESCO
World Heritage Site
and an Avenue of Volcanoes that walks through the Andes), coast (with more than 1,600 kilometers of golden beaches and mangroves), Amazon (more than 43% of the country's surface, with indigenous communities and national parks such as
Yusaní and Cuyabeno
) and the Galapagos Islands, the great unknown, with 97% of the land protected and more than 6,000 species to its credit, of which 32% are endemic.
Andean image of Ecuador, partner country.
For this reason, it encourages you to discover its richness through "unique experiences, from the
sunny beaches
and Afro-Ecuadorian culture on the coast, to the Andean peaks and the indigenous history of the mountains, the rich biodiversity of the Amazon and the unparalleled wildlife." of the
Galapagos Islands.
Together, these four worlds make Ecuador a diverse and enriching tourist destination,” explains the minister.
Much of these alternatives will be exhibited through
gastronomic tastings
, a tunnel of orchids and butterflies and exhibitions on their cultural variety.
monographic sections
Specialization is one of the
keys to Fitur,
which has 10 monographic sections focused on different sectors such as accessibility (Fitur 4all), which debuts this year with the aim of promoting equality for all people when traveling. .
Then there would be
Fitur LGTB+,
with 10 years behind it and whose motto this year is Destinations for Biodiversity, or Fitur Cruises, which addresses the day-to-day life of the cruise industry with two spaces:
Cruise Market,
a meeting between all agents in the sector, and
Cruise Campus
, with practical talks on so-called blue (or aquatic) tourism.
Fitur Techy, for its part, analyzes technology in the hotel world, focusing this year on artificial intelligence, the data economy and the challenges of the industry, while
Fitur Lingua
shows the role of travel in learning languages, serving as an element of tourist deseasonalization.
There would also be
Fitur Know-How & Export
, a space created for Spanish companies in the sector to show their potential, products and services linked to innovation;
Fitur Talent, which focuses on the search for talent as a driver of tourism development, presenting itself as a forum for professional training and training with a focus on
coexistence and artificial intelligence
;
and Fitur Woman, which contributes to female leadership.
One of the Fitur Screen presentations.
There are more, such as Fitur Screen, which connects the film industry with the tourism industry, and
Fitur Mice
, whose protagonists are trips for meetings, incentives, conferences and events.
The one dedicated to sports (Fitur Sports) would be missing, which highlights how
sports tourism
can boost the sustainable growth of the sector.
In this section, the celebration of the Olympic Games in Paris in the summer will take on special importance.
the map of europe
The increase in international presence in this edition is one of its most notable aspects, with a total of 152 countries represented, 20 more than in 2023. Divided by continents, we start the tour in Europe (hall 4), which has classic destinations such as
the United Kingdom
(which will affect, among other aspects, film tourism, a booming sector in the British Isles), Ireland, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Andorra, Croatia, Malta,
Norway, Finland or Portugal.
The latter, for example, is one of the countries of the Old Continent with the most presence at the fair, with information not only as a complete destination (whose motto this year is It
is not tourism. It is futurism,
influencing the
sustainable nature
of the industry) , but of its seven tourist regions: Porto and North, Central Portugal, Lisbon, Alentejo,
Algarve, Madeira and Azores
.
The Plaza Mayor of Évora, in the Portuguese Alentejo.
Not in vain, its stand is the largest in its history at Fitur, with 116 companies.
In addition to tastings, interactive actions and dances, there will be a teacher of the art of paper to make carnations, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the
Carnation Revolution
.
For its part,
France
, which returns to the fair after several years away, will have great relevance due to the celebration of the
Paris Olympic Games
.
You will also find information on less usual destinations such as Lithuania, Serbia,
Armenia, Georgia or the Republic of San Marino
, the third smallest independent state in Europe after the Vatican and Monaco.
thousand adventures in america
For this continent, Fitur is the tourism fair par excellence and Spain, a more than priority market.
Hence, the presence of most of their countries is guaranteed in pavilion 3. From the
United States or Canada
to all of Latin America, starting with Ecuador, a partner of the event, to Guatemala,
Costa Rica, Argentina, Jamaica
or the Dominican Republic.
There is no shortage of Colombia, which comes with 40 companies to show the offer of its six regions, encompassed in its new slogan
Colombia, the country of beauty
, understood in its multiple dimensions such as natural landscapes,
cultural diversity
, gastronomic wealth and the warmth of its people
Dancers from the Dominican Republic.
At its stand there will be no shortage of performances and gastronomic tastings of its excellent coffee, for example.
More of the same in
Chile
, which will also present unique routes such as the Carretera Austral, or
Peru,
which will launch its new international campaign, in addition to offering activities at its stand such as flying over the
Nasca Lines
, the Canyon of the Colca, the Citadel of Kuelap and Machu Picchu thanks to virtual reality.
Likewise, Peruvian culture will be exhibited through typical dances, scenes from traditional festivals such as Paucartambo, in
the Cuzco region
, or pisco, chocolate or coffee tastings.
And you will be able to see the stops on the ancestral Inca medicine tour.
Festival of Peru, a country that does not miss the event.
Another activity not to be missed is
the zip line launch
organized by Puerto Rico on the central avenue of Ifema.
Uruguay, for its part, will present its Annual Grill Tournament and the first Global Responsible Wine Tourism Summit, which will be held in March in the town of
Punta del Este.
Panama will also discover its new Vive por más brand, which transmits the sensations that travelers can experience thanks to its cultural and historical wealth and its
biodiversity
.
Mexico is another of the enclaves with the most representation in Fitur, since a large part of its territory will discover its benefits.
From Chihuahua to Guanajuato, Quintana Roo or Querétaro
, which will be the Ibero-American Capital of Gastronomy, without forgetting San Miguel de Allende or
Mexico City
itself , a destination that never stops reinventing itself with infinite innovations in tow.
the asian moment
It's Asia's turn, which displays its full potential in Hall 6. There will be countries such as
Malaysia,
one of the countries with the greatest biodiversity in the world;
Thailand, which will offer traditional dance
performances ,
as well as mask or umbrella painting workshops, or Japan, which will base its offer on sustainability, regional diversification and experiential tourism.
Within the Asian giant there will also be representations of cities such as
Tokyo
, which will talk about some of its novelties such as the transfer in February of the teamLab Borderless digital museum to
Azabudai Hills,
where it will be located in the tallest tower in the country (330 meters), the opening of premium hotels and the inauguration of the
Shibuya Sakura Stage
, one of the new iconic buildings in the city, with homes, offices and all kinds of leisure proposals.
A local woman poses at the Nepal stand.
At the stands in the Philippines, Maldives, Nepal, Singapore, Hong Kong and India you can enjoy
live shows,
tastings and presentations, while at the stand in Korea, there will be an exhibition of images from the most notable Korean films. , as well as one of
its most famous games,
dalgona
,
which was popularized in the successful series
The Squid Game.
K-drama fans will even be able to get a guide with all the
filming locations of series and films
in the eastern country.
Additionally, those who want to discover the Korean alphabet,
Hangeul,
will have the opportunity to get a gift inscribed with their name, be it a fan or a bracelet.
Arab countries such as Oman, Abu Dhabi,
Qatar, Dubai
and Jordan will also not be missing from the event.
In the case of the latter, it comes after breaking records for visits by Spaniards in 2023, with a total of 60,000 tourists.
Its vision as a safe and stable place, in addition to its history and unique enclaves such as
Petra or the Wadi Rum desert,
make the Hashemite kingdom a top destination.
route through africa and oceania
We move on to Africa (pavilion 1), whose weight in the fair has been increasing dramatically in recent times.
We start with neighboring Morocco, one of the great bets of the
Black Continent
for the Spanish.
But also Tunisia, Egypt, Kenya, Angola, Namibia, Tanzania,
Guinea Bissau, Senegal, Zambia, Uganda and Sierra Leone,
which came to Fitur for the first time last year and is repeating the experience to show the world its status as a 10th destination. in terms of diverse fauna, national parks,
empty beaches
, world record waves and an expanding ecotourism panorama.
Another destination that has not failed in recent editions is South Africa, since the Spanish market has increased its arrivals to that country by more than 240% during the last year.
As for
favorite activities
, there are 4x4 or balloon safaris through unique enclaves such as the
Kruger Park
, one of the most important animal reserves in the world.
It is also the ideal place for bird watching, festivals or
food and wine routes,
with visits to vineyards and wineries accompanied by tastings.
The paradisiacal islands of Mauritius and Seychelles will also welcome visitors with their options of
sun, beach
, adventure, luxury resorts and nature.
Finally, anyone who wants to escape to Oceania will be able to obtain information from tourism managers, agencies and tour operators in
Australia and New Zealand
, as well as from shipping companies that sail through the exotic Antipodes.
Have a good trip!
practical Guide
WHERE.
In pavilions 1 and 3 to 10 of Ifema (Avda. del Partenón, 5, Madrid).
WHEN.
From February 24 to 28.
Professionals (Wednesday to Friday) and general public (Saturday and Sunday).
SCHEDULES
.
From January 24 to 26 (10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.), 27th (10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and 28th (10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.).
PRICE.
One-day professional pass: 21 euros.
Permanent: 42 euros.
General public admission: 16 euros (12 if purchased online).
Free access for children under 10 years old accompanied by an adult and people with disabilities.
MORE INFORMATION.
On the website www.ifema.es/fitur
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on
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