Nature, food and creative tourism. It is with these proposals that the Algarve wants to attract Spanish tourists, in yet another Madrid International Tourism Fair (Fitur) that starts this Wednesday, January 19th.
For five days – until Sunday, 23 January –, the Algarve will be among almost seven thousand companies in the sector from 107 countries to capture the attention of visitors to the Madrid International Tourism Fair (FITUR) for the authenticity of the Algarve destination.
«One of the strong bets this year is active tourism, which finds in the Ecovia do Litoral/Eurovelo 1, in the Rota Vicentina, in the Via Algarviana and in the Grande Rota do Guadiana the high points of tourist attraction», says the Algarve Tourism Region (RTA).
Creative tourism, represented by projects such as Loulé Criativo, TASA, Algarve Cooking Vacations and the new Algarve Craft & Food, is another suggestion for those who like to join the local community to learn and participate in activities linked to traditions, culture or heritage.
Gastronomy and wines, in a region that currently has more than 30 wine producers, and the traditional sun and sea product, reinforced by the re-election of the Algarve as “Best Beach Destination in the World” in World Travel Awards, complete the Algarve highlights at this fair reserved for professionals in the sector in the first days (19th to 21st), opening on the last two days (22nd and 23rd) to the general public.
«Considering the current health context and the tourist retraction of 2020, the presence of the Algarve in FITUR is of special importance. In 2021, we have already registered a lower drop than in 2020: the fall in income stood at 40% compared to 2019, when in 2020 the fall had been more than 60%. Despite this slight recovery and our expectation that the sector will continue to grow in 2022 in the region, this rise will still be lower than those recorded in pre-pandemic years», says João Fernandes, president of RTA.
«It is therefore important to reinforce the promotion and visibility of the Algarve brand in events such as FITUR and in proximity markets, taking advantage of the clear desire that people have to continue travelling», he adds.
In 2021, FITUR was held on a semi-presence basis, with very low participation of visitors. This year it returns to its original format, complying with all the health rules in force, which is why there has been redoubled enthusiasm for returning to the fair in Spain, a market that in 2019 was responsible for more than 407 thousand guests (+14% compared to 2018) that generated more of 1,1 million overnight stays (+8,6% compared to 2018).
The Algarve space will be integrated into the national stand of Turismo de Portugal and can be visited every day of the fair from 10:00 am.
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