REPORT FROM MADRID: In the early days in 1980, a recently-founded institution, IFEMA, set to work in order to endow an important industry in Spain, tourism, with its own fair…
REPORT FROM MADRID: In the early days in 1980, a recently-founded institution, IFEMA, set to work in order to endow an important industry in Spain, tourism, with its own fair . The first Director of FITUR, Manuel Ortuño, was to become the Head of the new Municipal Tourist Board of Madrid Council before the first edition of the fair took place in 1981, a post from which he continued to collaborate closely with the team on the project. This was later corroborated by the Secretary General of FITUR, Alfonso Seoane, and Javier Gómez Navarro, the Technical Secretary, who as Minister for Trade and Tourism would subsequently open the 1994 edition of the fair.
The Honorary Presidency was accepted by His Majesty the King Juan Carlos.
The Organizing Committee was chaired by Felipe Cons, the Chief Executive of IBERIA. The Committee also featured two individuals who have retained their position as members of the Committee until the present day: Juan Careaga and Julio González Soria.
Staged at the Crystal Palace in the Casa de Campo, FITUR 81 was opened on behalf of His Majesty the King by the Minister for Transport and Communications, José Luis Alvarez.
Enrique Tierno Galván was the Mayor of Madrid.
The figures corresponding to this first edition: 1,500 exhibitors; 37 participating countries and 3,000 visiting professionals.
1982, the fair´s second edition, was attended by Their Majesties the King and Queen, who presided over the official opening ceremony. A new Minister for Transport and Communications accompanied them, Luis Gamir.
The recently elected President of the Spanish Government, Felipe González, opened FITUR 1983. This was the year in which the fair received its Golden Plaque for Tourism Merit from His Majesty the King to mark his saint´s day. Enrique Barón occupied the post of Minister for Transport, Tourism and Communications.
1984 signified a change in direction for the organizers of FITUR, which was now headed by Claudio Meffert. For his part, Carlos Espinosa de los Monteros assumed the position of Chairman of the Organizing Committee. FITUR was inaugurated on this occasion by the Vice-President of the Government, Alfonso Guerra.
Their Majesties the King and Queen inaugurated FITUR once again in 1985, as well as in 1986, the year in which a new Chairman was chosen for the Organizing Committee, Narciso Andreu.
By 1987, FITUR had already achieved the participation of some 3,000 companies and over 100 countries. The fair was inaugurated by Abel Caballero, the Minister for Tourism, Transport and Communications, who also presided over the official opening ceremony at the 1988 edition.
José Barrionuevo, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Communications, inaugurated the editions corresponding to the years 1989, 1990 and 1991.
1991 was the last year in which FITUR was staged at the old fairground facilities in the Casa de Campo in Madrid. Furthermore, FITUR was held in an especially difficult climate given that it coincided with the Gulf War. Its staging was facilitated in particular by the support of the United States, a country that confirmed its attendance at the fair. These circumstances highlighted the importance of tourism as the leading world industry of peace. At this edition, the Organizing Committee was chaired by Miguel Aguiló.
A new setting, the Juan Carlos I Exhibition Centre, where the fair takes place today, hosted the edition corresponding to a year of particular importance to the industry and to Spain: 1992. The fair was inaugurated by the Minister for Relations with Parliament, Virgilio Zapatero. 1992 represented an upturn for the industry after the slump of 1991, when it was affected by the international events of the Gulf War.
Claudio Aranzadi, the Minister for Industry, Trade and Tourism, inaugurated FITUR 1993, an event that began to incorporate the new European countries, reflecting the new world order that emerged from the rapid changes in Eastern Europe and Russia. Spanish tourism revenue surpassed the figure of 2 billion pesetas for the first time that year.
FITUR 1994 was inaugurated by Javier Gómez Navarro, the Minister for Trade and Tourism, who had formed part of FITUR´s founding team. The last general strike in Spain took place during the staging of the fair, but had little effect on the proceedings. Juan Sáez occupied the position of Chairman of the Organizing Committee. FITUR ACTIVE was set up in that year. This Monographic Section sought to cater for nature-based, culture-based and adventure-based tourism opportunities.
Their majesties the King and Queen once again officially opened FITUR in 1995. At this edition, FITUR KNOW HOW was presented for the first time, an exhibition aimed at bringing together all products and services relating to tourism known-how at the fair. FITUR also signed a collaboration agreement regarding the organization of FIT, the International Tourism Professionals Exhibition in Córdoba, Argentina.
In the year 1996, whose edition was inaugurated by His Royal Highness Prince Felipe, Yolanda Aguilar, the Commercial Director of the fair up until that time, became the Director of FITUR. The fair featured its own page on the Internet for the first time.
The President of the Government, José María Aznar, accompanied by the Second Vice-President of the Government and Minister for Economic Affairs, Rodrigo Rato, inaugurated FITUR 1997. This was the year that Spain assumed second place in the world rankings regarding tourism revenue and third place in terms of the number of visiting tourists, according to the World Tourism Organization. Xabier de Irala became the Chairman of the Organizing Committee.
A dramatic terrorist act in a country of special tourist interest and significance in 1998 once again highlighted the importance of FITUR and tourism in general as a forum for promoting understanding, whilst demonstrating the capacity of this industry to enable nations to develop. The country in question, along with others in difficult circumstances, reconfirmed its presence at FITUR, which was inaugurated by Her Royal Highness the Infanta Doña Cristina.
The solidarity of the tourist industry also acquired special significance at the 1999 edition. In 1999 FITUR facilitated the attendance of the countries affected by Hurricane Mitch. These countries chose to use the fair to emphasize their continuing capacity to receive tourists, precisely at a time when revenue from tourism activities was especially significant. Her Royal Highness the Infanta Doña Elena inaugurated this edition.
Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain once again opened a very special edition of FITUR, the fair´s twentieth anniversary edition. In the year 2000, the fair celebrated twenty years at the service of the tourist industry and did so by introducing a new initiative, Spain´s Meetings and Incentive Travel Workshop, FITUR CONGRESOS. Ever alert to new developments in tourism, the fair thus presented an attractive marketing tool aimed at the up-and-coming meetings market through this work-shop event.
His Royal Highness the Prince of Asturias presided over the inauguration of FITUR 2001, an edition which presented a new record in terms of participation, featuring nearly 85,000 professionals and over 8,000 exhibiting companies from some 170 countries. These figures reflected a basically solid industry, as highlighted by the Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization, Francesco Frangialli, when he recalled the 476,000 million dollars earned during the previous year´s tourist activity. At this edition, Ana Larrañaga was named new Manager of FITUR.
The edition held in 2002, inaugurated by the President of the Spanish Government, José María Aznar, welcomed an industry still highly concerned about the terrorist attacks that took place on 11th September. However, as in other delicate situations, tourism proved that it was, above all, a solid industry, one capable of overcoming any difficulty. This much is reflected by the participation figures, that represented a new record in the history of the fair, featuring some 9,542 companies and an exhibition area of over 73,968.5 square metres. 94,808 professionals participated. Out of them, 6,448 were journalists.
At FITUR 2003, an edition inaugurated by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, the tourist industry took stock by highlighting the considerable emphasis placed on quality by tour operators. In this respect, some 97,570 professionals visited the facilities at Feria de Madrid. This edition of the fair hosted the presence of 10,015 companies and 703 direct exhibitors from all over the world, who occupied an exhibition area measuring 76,926 net square metres. Furthermore, some 97,570 professionals from 112 countries participated in the event, which represented an increase of 3 per cent compared to the previous edition.
The twenty-fourth edition of the fair, FITUR 2004, whose Organizing Committee was chaired by Fernando Conte in his capacity as Chairman of Iberia, tackled the new challenges raised by ever-changing demand within tourism, thus providing the tourist industry with the key factors that would enable it to ensure a healthy future. This edition was inaugurated for the second consecutive year by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain, testifying to the considerable importance of this fair, one of the main driving-forces behind the Spanish economy and the development of Spanish society.
The participation figures, especially within the international section, were impressive, surpassing all the records achieved up until that time by the fair, which, for the first time, occupied all ten halls available at the Juan Carlos I Exhibition Centre in Madrid, with its 150,000 gross square metres of exhibition space. The 11,248 represented companies, 12 per cent more than the previous year, and the 757 direct exhibitors -including 319 foreign exhibitors, which represents 13 per cent more than the year 2003 – ensured the complete occupation of 79,517 net square metres of exhibition space. The growth of the international area obliged the fair organizers to incorporate an additional hall, thus facilitating a reorganization of the exhibition layout for the products presented by the various countries involved. With regard to the participation of professionals, the figure of 100,000 was surpassed for the first time. We might also highlight the high stature of these visiting professionals, who also had an opportunity to participate in the Specialized Conference Programme, including a meeting such as the First World Communications Conference, TOURCOM, organized by the WTO.
These figures undoubtedly promise great things for a very special event, the twenty-fifth edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR 2005, that is taking place between 26th and 30th January 2005 at its customary location, the IFEMA fairground. Throughout the year 2004 IFEMA has been commemorating its 25th Anniversary, having provided an essential point of reference for the world tourism industry all these years, as well as a leading forum for business. In this respect, FITUR will make an additional effort to offer the highest-quality service to the industry, by enhancing tools as useful as its web-page, FITURONLINE.COM, with the new ´Professionals Meetings-Point´ option, by promoting its international dimension and strengthening its various specialized sections. FITUR will also offer a comprehensive Specialized Conference Programme for professionals, one of the event´s most important assets. In short, FITUR will celebrate twenty-five years in the service of the tourist industry, providing tourism professionals with the very best setting in which to pursue their commercial strategies. This edition will feature the attendance of some 799 direct exhibitors (an increase of 6%) within an exhibition area measuring some 83,161 net square metres (+4.58%), figures that set a new record in terms of participation. As far as FITUR CONGRESOS is concerned, an event that will take place on 24th and 25th January, this workshop will feature the participation of 151 Spanish sellers from the meetings market and 213 buyers from 25 different countries.
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
