FITUR Breaks Attendance Records, Strengthens Global Influence

Last updated: 2:45 PM ET, Wed January 31, 2024

WHY IT RATES: FITUR 2024 wraps up its 44th edition with outstanding attendance figures, surpassing 250,000 participants, and strengthens its global influence. —Janeen Christoff, TravelPulse Managing Editor

The 44th International Tourism Fair concludes a successful edition whose data reflects the growth experienced by the global tourism sector in the past year, laying the groundwork for its consolidation in this 2024. FITUR has announced that throughout its five days, it has welcomed a total of 250,000 visitors, 153,000 has been professionals (from January 24 to 26) and 97,000 visitors attending during its two open-to-the-public days (Saturday 27, and Sunday 28). These figures, in line with the estimate provided by IFEMA MADRID, represent a 13.7% increase compared to 2023.

FITUR 2024 has also stood out for breaking the record for exhibition space, with a total of nine pavilions, one more than in 2023, as well as for the consolidation of its international character. It has gathered 152 countries and 96 official country participations.

Organized by IFEMA MADRID, the Fair, inaugurated on January 24 by Their Majesties the Kings of Spain, had Ecuador as the Country Partner of FITUR and the participation of all players in the tourism industry value chain, showcasing the sector's dynamism through numerous business transactions, expanded networks, and the exchange of best practices and knowledge.

The official report of FITUR 2024 reveals record-breaking participation figures with 9,000 companies, 152 countries, 96 official representations (20 more than in 2023), 806 main exhibitors, 9 pavilions, 10 monographic sections for tourist segments—FITUR 4all, TechY, Cruises, Know-How & Export, LGTB+, Lingua, Screen, Sports, Talent, and Woman—and the work carried out by the FITURNEXT Observatory as a channel for the sustainable commitment of the International Tourism Fair.

Additionally, it is worth noting that the influx of visitors to FITUR is expected to generate around 430 million euros in revenue for Madrid.

Strong Institutional and Sector Support

This 44th edition, like every year, in addition to the support of the international tourism sector, highlights the strong institutional support received. Alongside the Royal Family's demonstration of support for the tourism industry, with the presence of Their Majesties King Felipe and Queen Letizia, FITUR had the participation of prominent leaders such as Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador, who was the Country Partner of the International Tourism Fair this year. It also received the official visit of the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sánchez; the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama; representatives from the UNTWO together with its Secretary-General, Zurab Pololikashvili, the Ibero-American General Secretary, as well as more than ten regional presidents of Spain. In total, the Fair brought together the presence of nearly 400 authorities, including Ministers, State Secretaries, ambassadors, business representatives, and mayors from different regions.

Media Coverage and Social Media Presence of FITUR 2024

The fair's growth is reflected in extensive media coverage, with over 37,000 news articles published about FITUR 2024 during its celebration in national and international media, and with the presence of nearly 6,800 accredited journalists at the fair, including 6,157 national and 607 international journalists from 53 countries.

Additionally, in the social media environment, during the first two days of FITUR, there was a growth of 10,602 followers on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram, reaching a total community of 311,341 followers. The more than 860 posts published reached nearly 6.5 million impressions and 83,000 interactions. Finally, it is worth noting that FITUR generated a high volume of web traffic with approximately one million visits.

SOURCE: FITUR press release.