Preliminary Figures Show FITUR Stronger Than Ever

The 26th edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR 2006, which came to a successful close Sunday in Spain´s Madrid, brought together some 843 direct exhibitors and 12,065 represented companies from as many as 170 countries, all comprised in a net exhibition area of 86,857.5 square meters.

Nearly 45 percent of direct attendants were abroad, with the number of official representations increasing by 15 percent. The fair facilitated the attendance of Guatemala and El Salvador, countries that were hard hit by Hurricane Stan.

FITUR 2006 witnessed growth in all its areas. This edition featured 843 direct exhibitors, up 4.3 percent from 2005, and a net exhibition area measuring 88,857.5 square meters, a 3.6 percent spike compared to the 2005 edition.

According to geographical area, the continent that enjoyed the highest level of representation in terms of exhibitors was Europe, accounting for 29 percent of total participation, followed by America (22 percent), Asia-Pacific (18 percent), North Africa and Near-East (13 percent), Africa (9 percent), and the international hotel chains (9 percent).

The remaining 57 percent of the FITUR 2006 Exhibition was made up of Spanish companies and institutions, with some 60 percent of this Spanish representation consisting of private enterprises.