Interview with Lourdes Sierra, commercial director of FITUR
FITUR once again becomes the world center of tourism. The Fair registers a new participation record with 9.500 companies from 165 countries and regions, and with nearly 60.000 m2 of exhibition area.
The number of direct exhibitors has also increased, with a growth of 3% and 2%, in occupancy and a growth in the number of visitors is also estimated, exceeding the 222.551 attendees of the previous edition. One of the main objectives of the event is to create meeting spaces to do business and strengthen commercial exchange in the sector, as stated by the commercial director of FITUR, Lourdes Sierra; In fact, the agenda of B2B forums in 2015 hosted 5.000 business meetings, making FITUR an essential tool for energizing the global tourism market.
In accordance with the position of Spain and its tourism industry in the world, FITUR has developed an integrative model in which the latest market trends are present. With this premise, to the important offer of destinations and tourism companies, the monographic sections are added as an axis of innovation and business, which focus on the growing segmentation of the market and the emergence of new business opportunities. The latest incorporations, FITUR SHOPPING and FITUR SALUD, which were successfully launched in the last call, are consolidated. Likewise, the FITUR LGBT section is growing, which represents the offer of a sector that moves 6.100 billion in Spain, with great development potential.
The 36th edition of FITUR, a Fair organized by IFEMA, will be held from January 20 to 24, 2016, in pavilions 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 of FERIA DE MADRID. From January 20 to 22, dedicated exclusively to professionals (from 10:00 a.m. to 19:00 p.m.), and on the weekend, open to the public: Saturday, January 23, from 10:00 a.m. to 20:00 p.m. hours, and on Sunday, January 24, from 10:00 a.m. to 18:00 p.m.
Business and networking
The technologies that have revolutionized both management and marketing and other areas of the tourism business will have their space at FITUR with the aim of offering the keys to successfully face the new challenges of the sector in terms of innovation, technology and sustainability throughout the value chain of the sector and tourism management. In this sense, FITUR KNOW HOW & EXPORT, promoted by FITUR and SEGITTUR, will celebrate its fourth edition in order to enhance the international projection of the knowledge and management of Spanish tourism companies. On the other hand, organized by the Hotel Technology Institute, ITH, in collaboration with FITUR, FITURTECH stands out, which will bring together the latest proposals in the technological field, as well as in the field of tourism applications, in a clear commitment to third-class tourism. generation, and FITURGREEN, with the support of the UNWTO, which will promote sustainability through energy saving measures and efficiency in hotel and tourism management.
Likewise, given the good results of the last edition - with more than 5.000 pre-established business meetings in the B2B meetings and 200 international buyers - the Show will host the FITUR B2B Workshop Hosted Buyer. On this occasion, 50 countries, 500 exhibitors and around 200 international buyers invited by the Fair are participating. With this, participants will have an agenda of individualized and previously scheduled appointments, which will facilitate the possibilities of exchanges and commercial agreements between participating companies and the wide selection of international buyers invited by the Organization.
Likewise, at FITUR 2016, initiatives with a consolidated history will once again be held, such as the Tourism Investment and Business Forum in Africa, INVESTOUR, which is in its seventh edition as a scenario of mandatory participation for those Spanish and international companies interested in investing in projects in the African continent, from the perspective of promoting a sustainable tourism model that serves as an engine of development for this region. On this occasion, in addition, FITUR, Casa África and the UNWTO, organizers of the meeting, have the support of the Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies, CEAV, which will invite its retail and wholesale network to participate in the forum, and thus evaluate the business possibilities in Africa, an area in full tourism development that last year received 56 million tourists and generated income of 36.500 billion dollars.
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