Organised by IFEMA/FITUR, in partnership with FEDELE, the new section will offer a meeting point for tourism industry professionals and the major players in language tourism, such as language schools in tourist destinations. FITUR Lingua will take the form of a technical session for trade professionals on Friday 21 May.
MADRID – Language tourism comprises a range of educational, social and cultural activities for visitors to enjoy in another country, with the main aim of learning the language of the place they visit. This is a segment with significant growth potential, where Spanish plays a leading role. Indications suggest considerable tourist flows in the coming years, favouring new business opportunities for operators, companies, institutions and destinations.
In view of this, and as part of its continuing endeavour to help boost the tourism industry, FITUR’s upcoming ‘Special Tourism Recovery’ event, from 19 to 23 May, will feature the new FITUR Lingua space, organised in partnership with FEDELE, the Spanish Federation of Associations of Spanish Schools for Foreigners. Its aim is to create a meeting point for tourism industry professionals and the major players in language tourism, including language schools teaching Spanish as a foreign language in Spain.
For its debut at the trade fair, FITUR Lingua 2021 will take the form of a technical session for trade professionals on Friday 21 May, during which FEDELE and various leading figures in the sector will spotlight the significant value of language tourism, focusing on Spain’s position within the international arena and the potential of our cultural, linguistic, natural and historical heritage to make this country a global leader in language tourism.
The Spanish language is spoken by a total of 580 million people – 7.6% of the world’s population – according to the annual report from Instituto Cervantes, making it the second most widely spoken mother tongue in the world, by number of speakers. Spanish is also studied by 22 million people across 110 countries, and is the third most commonly used language on the internet. The growth and influence of Spanish is increasingly apparent, and interest in its study is becoming more and more pronounced in countries such as Germany, India, China and the United States.
This is also evident from the data provided by the Federation’s Spanish language schools, which attracted a total of 138,589 students, with associated spending of approximately 236,987,000 euros (excluding flights). With year-on-year growth of 9.93%, this is an expanding sector offering a new way of enjoying tourism – learning Spanish as a foreign language.
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She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communication & Mass Media from Panteion University of Political & Social Studies of Athens and she has been editor and editor-in-chief in various economic magazines and newspapers.
