FITUR 2021 closed its doors last Sunday marking the first tourism fair held in Europe since the pandemic.
The Fair’s importance was confirmed by the Tourism Ministers from around the world, the World Tourism Organization, and Spanish national and regional authorities who took part. This was the first fair held in Europe since the pandemic, and they took the opportunity to present their plans and incentives for the revival of tourism for this coming summer.
FITUR 2021, Tourism Recovery Special edition has come to an end. IFEMA MADRID has organised it with the aim of bringing the tourism industry value chain together on the starting line on the road ahead towards recovery in the international tourism sector. Exhibitors at FITUR’s seven halls (44,000 sq. m) also expressed their satisfaction with the way it has helped arouse optimism and hope among industry professionals.
This edition of FITUR was attended by 5000 companies from five continents, with 55 countries, 37 of them with official delegations, and the seventeen regions of Spain and Ceuta & Melilla. This year’s attendance was over 62,000 (42,000 trade visitors and an estimated more than 20,000 general public visitors over the weekend). Visitors arriving in Madrid for FITUR generated an estimated economic impact of approximately €100 million in the city.
These figures are in addition to the more than 40,000 online visitors at this pioneering hybrid edition of the Fair. Moreover, this innovation has helped widen FITUR’s international reach, with almost a hundred country delegations and improved business networking opportunities.
Strong Institutional Support
FITUR has also had solid institutional backing, with support from Spain’s Royal Family, which, once again, put the finishing touch to the opening day with the presence of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain. The Government of Spain also supported the event by declaring FITUR attendance as essential travel for qualified trade visitors from abroad and declaring the Fair an Event of Exceptional Public Interest. Furthermore, the President of the Government of Spain chose FITUR to present the European Union Digital COVID Certificate, and the Spanish Tourism Council held a meeting.
FITUR has also been the leading institutional event for tourism. After thirteen months of the pandemic, there were meetings of tourism ministers from 28 countries and 371 authorities, including Spanish ministers, presidents, tourism ministers of all the regions of Spain, and mayors of different towns and cities.
Media Impact
FITUR has also been covered extensively by international media, with almost 2,500 accredited journalists from 33 countries. During the Fair, there were nearly 120,000 news items and an audience of 6,180 million.
On social media, FITUR achieved five thousand new followers in addition to the almost 219,000 on its online channels, and this special edition generated three million views, 60,600 interactions and 1,100 posts.
The Dominican Republic to be Fitur Partner In 2022
Next year FITUR will be back with its usual dates, from 19th to 23rd January, with the Dominican Republic as its star attendee. This will the second time Dominican Republic has been a FITUR Partner. It is so far the only destination that has repeated in this special participation format, in partnership with the IFEMA MADRID/ FITUR brand.
