Spanish outbound taking centrestage

FITUR will be presenting the latest trends and technologies in tourism, and the growing role of Spain as a source of outbound visitors to other countries.

The 35th staging of FITUR, organised by IFEMA from January 28 to February 1, 2015 at FERIA DE MADRID, will be presenting the latest trends and technologies in tourism, at a time when Spain is playing an increasing role as an outbound source of visitors to other countries around the world. The Spanish outbound tourism expenditure rose by some 15.4% during the first four months of 2014, to a level of 2.172 billion euros.

FITUR will once again be playing host to the global tourism industry, with the most comprehensive presentation of proposals and destinations by companies, organisations and institutions from all round the world. The trade show is one of the largest anywhere in the world and the leading event for Latin American outbound and inbound markets.

FITUR 2015 will also be featuring such major new additions as the FITUR HEALTH and FITUR SHOPPING sections. The last, organised in collaboration with Madrid Shopping Tour, will be helping those companies signing up for this section to achieve the maximum return on their investment. According to the Director of Madrid Shopping Tour, Mar Sardá, “With FITUR SHOPPING, the trade show is furthering its specialisation, and offering companies a magnificent business opportunity in this emerging sector.”

Meanwhile, among the regular sections at FITUR, the trade show will be presenting within the context of FITURTECH the impact of technology on tourism, and there will be a special showroom dedicated to the tourism of the future. FITURGREEN will, for its part, be addressing innovation and sustainability in the tourism sector to promote the competitiveness both of companies and of destinations.

According to the Spanish Tourism Institute, the total Spanish outbound tourism spend amounted to 2.172 billion euros in the first four months of 2014, an increase of 15.4% compared with the same period in 2013. Between January and April this year, the average spend per traveller outside the country was 598 euros, with an average daily outlay of 76 euros.

According to Turespaña (Familitur survey), over the last nine years, Spain’s outbound tourism has seen a doubling in the number of trips, reaching a level of 12.1 million in 2012.