What is FITUR used for?
FITUR IS A PLACE TO BE
The first common response is the classic “you have to be”, but solidified by different arguments. For Ms. Dolores Frías, director of the Israel Tourism Office in Spain, FITUR is "an innovative fair, the global meeting point for tourism professionals and a leader for Spanish-speaking inbound and outbound markets." Hence, as has been happening in recent years, this country is betting heavily on its own stand. A landing similar to that of Costa Rica, a destination that, in addition, considers the Spanish public as a priority. “It is a valuable opportunity to show the world the culture, traditions and our development model”, assures D. Alejandro Castro, Deputy Manager and Marketing Director of the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT), who also highlights the professional opportunities it offers. "It is an opportunity to facilitate the space for tourism entrepreneurs so that they can negotiate with high-quality Spanish wholesalers."
For his part, D. Eduardo Fernández, Director of Culture and Tourism of the Government of La Rioja, adds one more to these arguments: "It serves to identify trends and ideas that other destinations are going to implement throughout the year", tells Traveler.es. Likewise, he exposes a nuance that makes FITUR different for his autonomous community. “It is the only international fair in which we make the La Rioja brand, in the rest we do it hand in hand with Turespaña”.
In FITUR the tourist year is decided
However, it is not necessary to have your own macro-stand, with a well activated space inside another exhibitor is enough. This is evidenced by the municipality of Villena, one of the towns that is growing more and better in statistics and tourist quality in recent years. For Ms. Mercedes Menor Céspedes, 1st Deputy Mayor of this town in Alicante, FITUR is key to promote this strengthening for a destination that, little by little, seduces more a "significant volume of national and international visitors". For this reason, she adds that "it is essential that Villena attend this fair to continue promoting itself and developing its tourist activity".
This good evaluation is not only held by the destinations, but also by the tourism companies that participate in the fair. This is the case of Iberia Express. “In a country like ours in which the tourism industry is so relevant, as reflected by the record numbers of tourists received during 2016 and we are also recognized internationally as one of the references in this regard, It is without a doubt a unique opportunity, both for business and image, to be able to be present and capitalize on the opportunities it offers” , asserts Mr. Fernando Candela, president and CEO of this airline. Along these lines, Mr. Carles Anglada, Operations Director of Silken Hotels, points out that this great meeting will also it provides “visibility and is a good claim for potential investors”.
yes has a return
YES, IT HAS A RETURN
Beyond making a mark, showing novelties and potential, FITUR has a comeback. The first, the one that is valued with closed agreements. In fact, as Mr. Carles Anglada points out, "it allows the different teams deployed at the Fair to work as if they were in their offices". A scale that is also valued in official bodies, as is the case of La Rioja, where a survey of the participants is added to this magnitude.
For its part, Palma - a city that actively participates in FITUR with presentations and events at the Balearic Islands stand - also has statistics and sensations among the final public (the traveler) that corroborate its deployment at the fair. “We do notice that the thematic axis that we present each year is linked to the requests that we receive. For example, last year we put our focus on promoting Palma as a cultural destination and now we notice that many people are interested in knowing what cultural offer Palma has”, indicates Mr. Pedro Homar, Manager of the Palma 365 Tourism Foundation.
You have to be. Yes or yes
FROM JANUARY 18 TO 22
FITUR has the handicap and at the same time the advantage of being held at the beginning of the year, with the organizational and cathartic power that this entails. For this reason, Ms. Dolores Frías points out that, from Israel, they take advantage of the fair to “present the thematic axes on which we will abound our promotion in the following months” , as is the case this year with city breaks and the charm of the Negev desert.
In the case of La Rioja, D. Eduardo Fernández Osés points out that " that FITUR is at the beginning of the year is one of the most important elements", since "it allows to put a face to the interlocutors and close the work of months ago".
Its location on the calendar does have a downside, at least in this edition in which it is held in the second working week after the Christmas holidays. A fact that, for Mr. Alejandro Pérez Ferrán, General Director of the communication and marketing agency Blueroom, is something that could be improved since the ideal would be "to return to dates that allow better planning and organization with a view to participation in the fair".
(Almost) anything goes to show tourism potential
THE IMPORTANCE OF FACE TO FACE
In addition to having sectoral relevance, a measurable return and suitable dates, FITUR offers professionals the opportunity to make all the procedures that, in recent times, have been digitized, more humane. In this area, for NH Hotel Group, Digitization must go “hand in hand with real experiences”. As Mr. Fernando Vives, Chief Commercial Officer of the group, points out, these fairs are "key spaces that allow us to show our clients, whether they are leisure or business travelers, the services we offer, the personalized attention and our first-class facilities quality in key international destinations and in strategic urban locations”. A vision shared by the Silken chain: “A fair offers the opportunity for professionals in the sector to see each other, share concerns and see what's new. In the end, behind all these digitization processes there are companies and human capital directing them” adds Mr. Carles Anglada.
For an airline such as Iberia Express, the holding of FITUR and other similar fairs provide "the perfect environment to learn about and experience first-hand the situation of the sector, as well as to know the perception of the public", so they are complemented with all the communication , promotion and digital conversion. In the case of the destination, being able to 'humanize' conversations and negotiations speeds up the process and gives it greater quality and understanding. As Mr. Eduardo Fernández Osés points out, the closeness and day-to-day activities of FITUR "make the fair the time to close contracts" for agents, companies and businesses in La Rioja.
Although the traveler is not the main objective, the Passenger Cars take the opportunity to reach him
AND WHAT ABOUT THE WEEKEND?
All the managers consulted agree in positively valuing the three professional days that make the fair a perfect agora to finalize negotiations and generate new agreements. However, the weekend, open to the general public, makes FITUR special as it offers a double aspect and, in turn, It is a challenge for exhibitors as they have to surprise both intermediaries and the final public. Since the latter is a secondary priority, they do not neglect it. For this reason, the tourist companies consulted see it more than as a nuisance, as an opportunity. While at NH Hotels Group they highlight the importance of "strengthening our commercial brands", at Iberia Express they highlight the possibility of “having a direct relationship with current and potential clients who, after all, are the ones who make it possible to record record figures at the tourist level”. For their part, from Silken hotels they recognize that the "final public is not the main objective", however they emphasize that "giving value to a brand and having visibility never hurts."
When this question is put to a destination, the answer is also positive: “Many people come to FITUR to get inspiration for their next trips. We are there to give you ideas of what you can do in Israel. From one year to the next, we are surprised by visitors who congratulate us on our recommendations” confesses Mrs. Dolores Frías, who adds that these details are the “best reward” for her work.
Travelers browse for inspiration for their next destination
THE GREAT SHOWCASE FOR MEDIA
Few exhibitors miss the opportunity to promote themselves in the media through communication, presentations and personalized interviews. This translates into a tsunami of calls, saraos and exhibitions of all colors that represent three days of intense activity for journalists of all formats. In general, professionals in this sector (among which the undersigned is included) they feel a certain chaos and piling up of novelties, meaning that many of them do not have the importance or impact that they could have outside the dates and limits of the fair. On the other hand, it is true that FITUR attracts interesting sources from the sector and is a compendium of personalities who have a lot to say, but their priority is not always to serve the media in a transparent and flexible manner.
The excess of presentations means that some can go unnoticed
Compared with other fairs of similar relevance, D. Alejandro Pérez Ferrant points out that FITUR “is probably the most oriented towards communication and public relations of all of them”. Hence, for a tourism communication and marketing company like Blueroom, do not consider it negative to carry out actions with the press despite the saturation. “ There is no important participation in FITUR without some type of communication with the media”. However, the formula for the success of any media event, according to its General Director, is to “check the profiles, reputation and prestige of the attendees at each event over and above the number of attendees. With us, quality always prevails over quantity”, he adds.
On the other hand, there is that of the medium's own exhibition. This is the case of Condé Nast Traveler, always with its own stand, perfectly designed and cared for to make attendees aware of the contents, novelties and careful aesthetics that characterize this magazine. This year, travel and excitement await all visitors to the pavilion 3 at stand 32.
Follow @zoriviajero
Excellence in travel is experienced in Hall 3, stand 32