The trade fair brought together some 9,083 companies from 165 countries and a total of 217,780 visitors, of whom 120,231 were members of the industry, presenting favourable rates of growth regarding all of its different parameters
These results confirm the positive trend within the tourist industry, as well as the state of confidence and optimism in trade circles, within the context of a general climate of recovery
Thousands of trade meetings and projects were generated within the framework of the trade show, together with collaboration agreements and institutional agreements. Participants also gained access to new markets and established new tourist routes
Madrid, 15th February 2014. FITUR 2014 has concluded its 34th event, surpassing all expectations with a series of participation and activity levels that confirm its role as a key forum for boosting the international tourism business. These results confirm the favourable trend within the tourist industry, whilst the event’s participants highlighted the current state of confidence and optimism and the climate of recovery in which the trade show took place.
The 34th staging of the International Tourism Trade Fair, an event organised by IFEMA, brought together a total of 217,780 visitors, a 5.1% increase compared to 2013, from to 22nd to 26th January at FERIA DE MADRID. Of this number, some 120,231 were members of the industry, a 3.5% increase, amongst which we might highlight the large numbers of professionals from Latin America and Europe. The number of exhibiting companies also increased by 1.2% compared to the last staging of the trade fair, coming to 9,083 companies from 165 countries and regions. These participants occupied a net exhibition area measuring some 130,530 sq. metres. FITUR welcomed some 7,368 journalists and bloggers, a 2.3% increase compared to last year, who attended the event from 60 countries and represented some 4,411 media bodies.
These favourable results led to the generation of thousands of new trade projects, partnerships and collaboration agreements, in addition to institutional agreements. The participants were also able to gain access to new markets and set up and promote new routes, as witnessed in their evaluations of this year’s staging of the trade fair.
The consolidation of FITUR as a leading forum for business coincided with a favourable climate of recovery and a moment of dynamic growth within the realm of Spanish tourism, which concluded the year 2013 by recovering its third-placed position in the world tourism ranking for 2013, as highlighted by the Spanish Prime Minister at the EXCELTUR Forum the day before FITUR opened. In this respect, Spain moved ahead of China in terms of its number of foreign visitors in 2013, based on a figure of 60.6 million, a 5.6% increase compared to 2012.
The climate of confidence that surrounded the trade fair was also confirmed by the strong levels of foreign institutional representation at FITUR, featuring the attendance of some 40 Tourism Ministers, 20 from Africa, 15 from Latin America, 5 from Asia and 4 from Europe. To all this we must add the presence of the Spanish Royal Household through the auspices of the Prince and Princess of Asturias, who inaugurated FITUR, and a strong institutional delegation, headed by the Spanish Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister, together with the Spanish Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, the Minister for Home Affairs and the Minister for Agriculture. The event was also attended by 11 Heads of Spain’s different Regions.
From an analysis of the members of the industry who visited FITUR, we can offer the following breakdown: 15.2% were wholesalers and tour operators; 14.7% were travel agencies; 14.2% were from the restaurant and hotel trade; 10.4% were from the service and know-how sectors; 9.1% were from the leisure and culture sectors; and 8% were transport companies.
With regard to the trade exhibition itself, the most strongly represented sectors were as follows: the hotel and catering trade, accounted for 32.5% of the exhibitors; official Spanish bodies accounted for 22.5%; travel agencies made up 8.3% of the exhibitors; leisure and culture operators, 8%; trade associations, 7.9%; wholesalers and tour operators, 5.1%; service and know-how companies, 4.6%; foreign official bodies, 2.9%; and transport companies accounted for 2.8% of the exhibitors.
