FITUR 2014 Focuses on Technology as Revitalizing Lever

IFEMA organizes the 34th International Tourism Show, FITUR, January 22-26, which in this edition will be making emphasis on technological innovations as revitalizing and developing lever for the travel industry. In this sense, the different business forums included in the Fair, at the exhibition ground and debate meetings, are going to tackle the latest trends and cutting-edge technological developments as key elements to the travel industry’s competitiveness.

Over 90% of the space has already been reserved by around 9,000 companies, so the attendance expectations are very good for this edition that takes place within an environment of world travel market growth, and tourism professionals will have access to different tools developed by FITUR to provide solutions aimed at boosting innovation and competitiveness as the main challenges to be faced by the sector.

That’s the case of FITUR KNOW HOW & EXPORT, promoted by Segitur and Icex, which acclaims the most innovative solutions in terms of tourism management and their potential to gain access to new markets. It’s a space in which Spanish companies linked to the travel industry can show their potential and put on the map their services and products, targeting international markets.

The initiative responds to the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Tourism’s objectives when it comes to supporting the transference and exportation of tourism know-how, by fostering the internationalization of Spanish tourism companies, backing them up to open new markets and identifying projects.

The participating companies will count on an activity program to get to know business opportunities all over the five continents, but they will also have the opportunity to receive customized advice provided by experts from SEGITTUR and ICEX in terms of exportation, multilateral organism and such initiation programs as ICEX-Next.

This is going to be the first time that SEGITTUR helps the attending companies to look for potential clients and meet them throughout the air time, in an exclusive networking space. The participation will be complemented with panels where professionals will learn the keys to internationalize their companies, by means of practical cases and business opportunity in every corner of Earth; as well as intelligent tourism destinations and the role played by enterprising people in the travel industry.

As for the technological sphere, FITUR is also going to feature new elements, promoted by Segitur and Icex, aimed at fostering tourism applications as selling and advertising digital tools in the sector. That’s why a tourism Apps Contest has been announced in an effort to nationally pay tribute to the finest developments in terms of Active Tourism, Sun and Beach, Cultural Tourism, and Others, and at international level, the best destination guide app and the one that improves tourists’ experience during the trip.

Following this lead, FITUR is going to deal with the guidelines of third-generation tourism as competitiveness key in the hotel sector, by sharing its technological proposals for the sector. In this edition, agents of the industry will be in touch state-of-the-art technological trends, Social Networks or low-cost deluxe, among other aspects of the future hotel business.

Some contents will be focused on the exhibition and theoretical offer of FITURTECH, a forum organized by the Hotel Technological Institute, ITH, which also develops FITURGREEN in order to give the hotel sector new solutions in terms of energetic safe and efficiency on hotel and tourism management. Among other projects, they present the keys to sustainable tourism 360º, through different workshops on efficient technologies, a sustainability analysis of the tourism destination, and the tools and initiatives that make it happen.

Significant Sectorial Calls around FITUR

Once again, FITUR 2014 has been chosen as the best framework to hold meetings of great professional and international importance. The 7th EXCELTUR FORUM, the second time it takes place as part of the fair, is going to put together boldface names from the world politic- economic spheres and travel industry, to debate on “tourism, as a key sector to strengthen the country’s brand”. The panels will be tackling new challenges to be faced in order to internationalize the tourism companies, the latest trends according to the main business leaders or how to improve institutional cooperation in an effort to encourage the competitiveness of Spain’s travel industry and the country brand. On the other hand, before FITUR`s inauguration, Tuesday, January 21, 2014, is the date to hold the 17th Latin American Lecture of Tourism Ministers and Entrepreneurs, CIMET 2014, which is going to gather a significant number of ministers and tourism representatives from the American continent.

The Awards to the Excellence and Innovation on Tourism, also targeting technological development, are going to be hold within the framework of the Fair, an event that will be joined by the rest of the professional meetings announced by the World Tourism Organization.

Spaces for Tourism Business

Along with the innovation, the boost and promotion of tourism business is one of the values that make FITUR stand out as the forum of the world travel industry. That’s the origin of such spaces as INVESTOUR Africa, organized by the show, OMT and Casa Africa, since it plays an important role as meeting spot for Spanish and Portuguese entrepreneurs and investors, and travel destinations from the African continent, by consolidating new investments every year in projects that foster a sustainable model for the region’s economic development. That’s the reason why they have organized panels that will be debating decisive points to encourage the development, such as connectivity, including an intense agenda of personal meetings among potential investors and professionals on African destinations.

This very format of previously-scheduled personal meetings is going to take place along with FITUR B2B, which is already working on an intense agenda of meetings among different companies and destinations and a significant number of international buyers.

FITUR’s exhibition offer will be complemented by monographic sections on business challenges and different realities of tourism, as well as gay tourism in FITUR LGBT, the growing enological tourism ALOJAMIENTOS DEL VINO and RECEPTIVO ESPAÑA., with a comprehensive representation.

An attractive offer that positions FITUR as a must-attend event for professionals and agents from the international travel industry in order to learn business guidelines and strategies, as well as tools that open new and better competitiveness opportunities and market presence.