Companies from 170 countries to FITUR 2003

Spain’s International Tourism Fair –the first tradeshow in the sector’s international schedule for 2003- will open its 23rd edition from January 29 through February 2 at the Madrid’s Juan Carlos I Fairgrounds with as many as 9,000 firms from 170 countries.

The samples will cover a total surface of 140,000 square meters, a figure that represents a 12 percent increase compared to last year’s meeting. These numbers stand for a meaningful response to the ongoing situation and highlights this fair’s staunch position as companies feel more confident toward this businesslike and idea-exchanging event, fair planners said.

FITUR’s ample offer is clearly distributed in sectors with a view to ease professional visits. Pavilions 3, 5, 7 and 9 will comprise national institutions. Pavilion 8 is reserved for international hotel chains. Pavilion 8 and 10 will gather Spanish companies, while 4 and 6 will embrace the international area with America’s stands in Pavilion 6 and the rest of the world clustered in 4.

Roughly 40 percent of the entrepreneurial and institutional turnout will hail from places other than Spain. Among countries featuring direct attendance, there will be new official stands from such nations as Australia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Malta, Kazakhastan, Serbia, Macao and Kenya.

It’s worth mentioning that Kenya’s presence teams up with southern Africa’s premier tour operators, plus Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Equatorial Guinea, the Maurice Islands, the Seychelles Islands, Mali and Senegal, a clear sign of the African nations’ interest in this fair.

For its part, the major role played by FITUR in the Iberian-American region will be buttressed this time around with the joining of destinations from the Caribbean, Aruba and Curaçao to the traditional ones that have previously attended this fair under the banner of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, plus Jamaica.

The Active FITUR section will present this time around the most amazing array of products and services from Spanish companies and institutions dealing with nature, adventure and culture modalities. All this information will be culled in the Active Tourism Guidebook issued both in Spanish and English. For its part, the 8th Contest of Active Tourism’s Products will include this year a slot reserved for international offers in this segment.

Finally, FITUR Know-how in the Tourist Connoisseur Hall will stand for a good reference to tourist know-how and cutting-edge technology applied to this sector, let alone its contribution to better exporting capability and competitive improvement among tourist enterprises.

As far as the FITUR Technical Sessions are concerned, an obliged mention goes to the 6th Iberian-American Conference of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs on Jan. 28, the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean Forum on Jan. 29, presentations at the Spanish Tourism Technology Hall and the WTO lectures, both scheduled for Jan. 30.

Attendants to the tradeshow will enjoy better service conveniences like subway rides to the capital’s downtown area, stations outfitted with luggage dispatching systems –also available in IFEMA- or the office opened by the U.S. Commerce Department in the Madrid Fair.