The data from the first estimate exceed the initial forecasts of 150,000 and amount to 153,000 professionals.
On Saturday, January 27 and Sunday, January 28, FITUR opened its doors to the public with a complete agenda of activities and travel proposals with an expected 100,000 visitors.
The 44th edition of the International Tourism Fair closed its three days dedicated exclusively to professionals, exceeding its forecast of 150,000 attendees with a total of 153,000 visitors. The first attendance data at the IFEMA MADRID Fairgrounds reflected the total recovery of the tourism sector, with an increase of 12% compared to 2022.
It was estimated that this influx of arrivals to FITUR generated income for the Madrid economy of approximately 430 million euros.
FITUR received institutional support with official visits from the five continents.
Like every edition, in addition to the support of the tourism sector, the strong institutional support that FITUR has received stands out. After the official opening presided over by His Majesty the King and Queen of Spain on the first day, the Fair has had relevant presences such as that of Daniel Noboa, president of Ecuador, which this year is the Partner Country of the International Tourism Fair. In addition, it has received an official visit from the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, representatives of the World Tourism Organization, the Ibero-American Secretary General and more than ten regional presidents of Spain. In total, the 44th edition of FITUR saw the attendance of nearly 400 authorities, including Secretaries of State, Tourism Councillors, ambassadors, business managers, mayors from different regions, and other political and institutional representatives.
Media and social media coverage of FITUR 2024
The growth of the fair and its impact has been reflected in the extensive media coverage recorded with nearly 23,000 news items published in national and international media. In total, FITUR has accredited nearly 6,800 journalists (10% international from 53 countries).
Furthermore, in the social media environment, during the first two days of FITUR there has been a growth of 7,144 followers on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram, reaching FITUR a total community of 307,883 followers. The more than 520 posts published have reached nearly 3.5 million impressions and 50,000 interactions. FITUR has been Trendic Topic on social network X throughout the three professional days of the fair and has reached third position in Spain.
Finally, it stands out that FITUR has generated a high volume of traffic to the website with 680,000 visits these days.
FITUR opens its doors to the public this weekend
After three days of business-oriented professionals, the Fair opens its doors to the public during the weekend, with an estimated attendance of 100,000 visitors. All of them will be able to tour the world through the 9 pavilions, obtain information on a varied offer of international and national destinations thanks to the participation of 152 countries and 96 official participations and enjoy a varied agenda of recreational activities that the exhibitors have prepared. Highlights include the installation of a zip line on the central avenue of IFEMA MADRID by Puerto Rico, the FITUR Cruises gymkhana, the paddle tennis exhibitions in the sports tourism section, as well as musical performances, regional dances, gastronomic tastings, craft workshops , contests and raffles, etc.