FITUR 2009 Reveals Results of Solidarity Auction

On 1 February of this year, among the many events and activities that took place during the 29th edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair FITUR, was a solidarity auction, organized in collaboration with Turismo Justo and Global Tourism Interface.

The main objective of this initiative was to raise awareness in both the general public and the business sector of the need to introduce this industry into disadvantaged areas in a sustainable way in order to ensure their development.

A wide range of tourism products donated by various companies were auctioned, including stays at urban hotels, weekends in a rural environment and even trips to the Andes and the Amazon. Apart from providing information to the participants on this sensitive matter, the event generated €6,500.

These funds were earmarked for two different projects, as previously announced. Close to €1,000 was donated to the financing of scholarships for Latin-American students to be able to study a course on Communitarian Tourism Management, co-organized between Turismo Justo and the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (the Open University of Catalonia). The students that were awarded scholarships achieved excellent grades in the first edition of this initiative.

The rest of the proceeds were used in an ecotourism project in Peru to improve the quality of life among the indigenous Shipiba communities along the Ucayali River. The funds will be used to create suitable facilities to accommodate tourists visiting the area to learn about the customs and culture of this community.

The organizers of the fair tourism auction are very satisfied with the results obtained and hope it serves the purpose of fostering responsible tourism, which both respects the environment and the idiosyncrasy of the societies that have embraced it.