FITUR assembles the great business and innovation forum of the worldwide tourism

USPA NEWS - The International Tourism Fair FITUR 2016 start Wednesday January 20 in Madrid. The Trade Show registers a new record in participation, with 9,500 companies from 165 countries and regions and with nearly 60,000 square meters of exhibition space.

The number of direct stand-holders is on the rise, with growth of 3% and 2% in occupation. An increasing number of visitors is also estimated, exceeding the figure of 222,551 attendees at the previous staging. The schedule of B2B forums, which in 2015 hosted 5,000 business meetings, will again confirm FITUR as an indispensable tool in dynamising the global tourist market.

From 20 to 24 January, Madrid will be hosting the 36th edition of FITUR, the premier business and promotion forum of the worldwide tourism industry. Organized by IFEMA, the International Tourism Fair will feature the novelty of having Andalusia as its principal partner, with the support of the main agents in the industry: The World Tourism Organization, UNWTO; the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism as well as the companies and bodies represented in its Organizing Committee.

The sector´s growing commitment, which for the second consecutive year confirms the Trade Show´s growth coinciding with the excellent progress made by the industry worldwide, places the focus on the high expectations for this new staging which, as is now traditional, inaugurates the international circuit of travel industry gatherings, taking the sector´s pulse. FITUR will thus draw together in Madrid all the actors in the tourism industry around one of the most important trade and professional events in the world.

Its business vocation, the integration of the latest trends and segments into its offer and its firm commitment to innovation and technology situate FITUR as an indispensable lever for the tourism market´s innovating and dynamising drive. This is confirmed by the figures emerging for FITUR 2016, a reflection of tourism´s powerful weight both in Spain and on the global stage.

Growing for the second consecutive year

The Trade Show is again growing in participation, having reached the figure of 9,500 companies from 165 countries and regions. As for direct participation, the number of main stand-holder amounts to 713, an increase of 3% over the previous staging and of 2% in net exhibition surface, with an occupation of 57,850 sq. m. The offer of businesses, organizations and organisms will be distributed between halls 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of Feria de Madrid.

Both national and international participation share these growth figures, that in the case of firms increase this edition until 8%. For its part, the national area presents a total of 85 new joins at the Trade Show, with a particularly significant increase in the presence of technology companies, which is boosted by a further 40, and in the Health Tourism section, with 12 new participations reaching a total of 25 firms.

There is also significant growth in the international area, where an increase of 3% and 77 new joins has been registered - prominent among them is Burkina Faso, which is attending for the first time with official representation, and Latvia, which will have business representation - and 16 rejoined, including the Netherlands, Indonesia, Puerto Rico, Belize and Guinea, which were present at the previous staging through their businesses and which this year, and as a novelty, are coming with official representation. In this edition, there will be an increase of Europe, with an important companies´ participation, and of Africa, with the incorporation and consolidation of new destinations of that continent.