Fitur closes its three days for professionals with 153,000 visitors, more than expected

The international tourism fair of Madrid, Fitursurpassed its own forecast for professional visits this Friday, with more than 153,000 people from last Wednesday to today, the three days that the fair reserves only for the professional circuit.

According to the organization, visits from professionals exceeded those of last year by 12%. There are now two days of the weekend, for the general public, in which another 100,000 visitors are expected to attend.

In this 44th edition of the tourism fair, the attendance of nearly 400 authorities was recorded, including secretaries of State, tourism advisors, ambassadors, business managers, mayors from different regions, and other political and institutional representatives.

Fitur It accredited nearly 6,800 journalists, 10% of them international – from 53 countries – and recorded nearly 23,000 news items published in national and international media.

The nine pavilions of the Madrid fairgrounds, Ifema, in which the fair is held host 152 countries and 96 official participations.

A weekend of “a lot of magic”

Beyond the exhibitions of native folklore – especially dazzling pavilions 1 (Africa) and 3 (America) -, audiences of all ages will enjoy the Disney Destinations weekend, an experience “with a lot of magic,” as they explain to EFE from this space.

The passenger will be able to analyze their superpowers or see, thanks to virtual reality, the cabin, the theater, the main lobby and the games room, set in the movie ‘Toy Story’, of a Disney cruise.

The route ends with a plane ride, lasting about three minutes and with a capacity of ten people -plus Tinker Bell and her fairy dust-, to the group’s theme parks, on the occasion of the promotion of the direct Madrid-Orlando flight that will operate this summer Iberojet (Ávoris).

Those who love risk, on the other hand, will be able to dare with the zip line installed by Puerto Rico in the outer area – who knows, the Puerto Rican singer Luis Fonsi may have been encouraged to do so during his visit – while the less initiated opt for paragliding without leave the Peru stand, where you will be entertained with coffee.

Fitur is, once again, that cosmos that combines modernity and tradition, as evidenced by Asia, where Japan and Korea compete for the public with demonstrations, almost counter-programmed, of martial arts – aikido and taekwondo, respectively – and calligraphy and crafts workshops.

Chile, for its part, boasts of having inspired the Oscar-nominated film ‘The Snow Society’, directed by the Spanish Juan Antonio Bayona, and remembers that what is known as the ‘miracle of the Andes’ occurred in one of its regions. .

Paraguay deploys a combo that always succeeds: drinks based on Paraguayan cane, and a “typical snack”, the ‘mbeyú’ or cassava starch and fresh cheese pancake, and cooked.

As in Peru, coffee is not lacking in Colombia, while in Spain, Asturias dazzles with the tasting of its classic ‘sidrina’.

Along with the gastronomic attractions – paltry compared to those of the professional days -, music will take over the fair with the winner of the ‘drag queen’ gala of the Carnival of the Spanish island capital of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Drag Shiky.

But if something caught the attention of professional visitors, it was pavilion 5, dedicated to ‘Andalusian Crush’, a campaign with which the Spanish region of Andalusia (south) has solemnly revisited its treasures, hunting, fundamentally, tourists. international.

In short, that Fitur ‘2000 effect’ in which the ‘sun and sand’ assaulted families, in which the waits for bottles of wine, umbrellas and other souvenirs could last for hours, are long gone.

Because the fair, like the sector, matured, transformed, and no longer seeks the easy ‘crush’ with the masses, but with a traveler who embodies quality tourism and provides added value to the activity, its workers and the economy. as a whole.