FITUR 2008 Promotes Spanish Investment in the Caribbean
Spain has established itself as one of the most important investors in the Caribbean, especially in relation to tourism. Spanish businesses currently account for some 60,000 beds in countries throughout the region, which represents 50 percent of the total number, to which another 10,000 will be added by the projects currently being implemented by various large hotel chains.
In the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, the Bahamas and the Mexican Caribbean, Spain is now the leading investor in the tourist industry. However, Spanish businessmen have also focused their efforts on other English-speaking Caribbean countries, such as Aruba, a key destination where the hotel chains are beginning to introduce the “all included” package, which has been the key to the success of the Caribbean for some years now.
Within this context, FITUR 2008, the first grand tourism event of the year, will bring together professionals from the industry over a period of 5 days, enabling them to discover the latest new features and projects of some 13,190 companies at first hand.
For its part, the Caribbean will once again send strong representation to the next edition of FITUR, which is due to take place between January 30 and February 3, 2008. This attendance will help to promote trade links with both Spanish representatives and businessmen from 170 countries and regions.
FITUR also provides an ideal setting in which to explore new collaboration initiatives, whilst also helping to strengthen the business ties that already link the Caribbean and Spain.
The growing demand for the Caribbean as a tourist destination, which is currently the second most popular region on the American Continent, based on a figure of 19.4 million foreign tourist arrivals in the year 2006, as well as the attractive tourism opportunities available in the countries that make up the region, have led to rising interest on the part of Spanish investors, who have revealed their extensive experience within this field.
