The Caribbean to Bask in Limelight of FITUR’s Upcoming Edition

The Caribbean region is expected to steal back the thunder during the upcoming edition of Madrid’s International Tourism Fair (FITUR) to be held from January 30 to February 3 next year at its traditional IFEMA fairgrounds in the Spanish capital.

Unlike latest editions, this time around the Caribbean will attend FITUR armed with a much broader offer of products, services and destinations in an effort to show its increasing interest in Europe, especially in Spain.

The Caribbean’s stepped-up presence in FITUR will take place at a time when tourist arrivals from Europe to that balmy region are on the rise. According to stats provided by the UNWTO, the Caribbean reeled in over 19 million sunbathers in 2006, up 3.3 from the year before.

The Dominican Republic, a country that’s been steadily attending FITUR since 1981, led the pack among Caribbean nations with 3.9 million visitors, up a strong 7.4 percent from 2005. In that particular nation, Spain ranks fourth in tourist arrivals, trailing behind the U.S., Canada and France.

In the same breath, Spanish investors have been keeping a hands-on approach to the Caribbean region with hefty investments in hotel infrastructure. Spanish trippers, for their part, have been speding more and more money in their Caribbeans getaways.

FITUR 2008 is slated to attract tourism companies from as many as 170 countries and regions all around the world. Nearly a quarter of a million visitors and some 151,000 industry professionals are expected to walk past the turnstiles.