PRE-FITUR: RECORD AFTER RECORD IN THE TOURISM INDUSTRY

By Alberto Barciela*

Ecuador is the country to which the fair is dedicated.

Experts believe that Europe should send more tourism to Latin America, which has the greatest opportunity for development in tourism.

We are off to a record-breaking start at FITUR: 9,000 exhibitors, 152 countries -with the return of the leading travel power, France-, 806 stands, 75,000 square meters -a 25% increase-, 8% more international exhibitors… and incredible expectations, after a year 2023 in which all expectations have been exceeded, and a year 2024 that begins with forecasts much higher than the previous year.

The HOTUSA EXPLORA Forums, the Ibero-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs (CIMET), EXCELTUR; the traditional meeting of the Spanish Tourism Board; the presentation of the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, which returns to Madrid, the third world capital with Paris and Dubai preferred by travelers, have already been held.

Meetings and gatherings with ministers, secretaries of state, representatives of autonomous communities, mayors, presidents of sectoral associations, businessmen, stand designers and assemblers… these days prior to the fair, coincide in the diagnoses.

FITUR will be inaugurated tomorrow, Wednesday, January 24, 2024, by the King and Queen of Spain, and will be dedicated to Ecuador. The professional atmosphere has been unbeatable and encourages a key cross-cutting sector in the creation of wealth and employment -skilled labor is in demand-, modernization and welfare. Tourism does not generate problems, on the contrary, it contributes to solve them, and there can be no better indication of a country that the industry of happiness is working.

There are things to improve, such as the issuance of European tourism to Latin America, in fair reciprocity to the demand of that continent to Spain, as well commented by the representatives of the Tourism Board, Juan Molas, and Iberia, in the CIMET; and we must also move forward in areas such as connectivity, deseasonalization, promotion, training, etc, and very fundamentally in public-private dialogue for co-governance, as proposed by the Minister Jordi Hereu.

Pre FITUR has been a success that we hope will be confirmed in its good expectations in the coming days of the fair and throughout 2024 in the industry.

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*Alberto Barciela, a Spanish journalist, is a member of the Spanish Tourism Board and vice president of EditoRed.