FITUR 2024

El FITUR This year it has once again been a FITUR from before, from many years ago, from even before the pandemic, enormous.

Many people talk about 250.000 visitors, 153.000 professionals and 97.000 members of the general public, an increase of more than 13% compared to the 2023 edition. Representatives from 152 countries, a global reach.

We do not know how much of this growth can be associated with the public money of the Spanish administrations, but it is surely not negligible. There were stands from town halls from all over Spain. A tourism promotion strategy, in my view, more designed for the show off of its politicians and the preening among equals than to make things really happen in the tourism of your town.

Like other years, I want to talk about what I have seen at the fair in relation to bicycle tourism, and I start with an apology. This year for me has been an intense fair of meetings and I have had very little time to walk and see. I have barely left pavilion 9. A couple of appointments in 4, 3-4 things in 10 and the rest in 9. This year I have missed, for sure, many things. Feel free to include your contributions in the comments, we will be very grateful.

For me it has been three days of meetings, some of which seem productive, of greeting friends from the sector and public administrations, attending some technical conference, participating as a speaker in others, recording an episode of Traveling Slowly and hold the General Assembly of CiclaMadrid.

Some of these meetings promise to have significance, such as those of Greenways y EuroVelo, others will allow us to continue consolidating our work in some territory.

It is confirmed, year after year, that tourism, such a transversal activity, attracts professionals from other sectors: consulting, technology, sports, food,...

Artificial intelligence has walked through Hall 10 looking for its place, and with many commercials trying to convince us that we need it no matter what. We have to say it loud and clear, there is a TECHNOLOGICAL BUBBLE. Yes, smart destinations, tourist intelligence, working with data are very good,... Totally in favor. But we talk about the digitalization of companies and many times what is missing is that they answer our email. That a rural hotel does not need the Entreprise console. It's enough to think of technology as a religion, there are things that the best way to fix is ​​face to face, having a coffee and chatting. Not everything is digital. Luckily for us, people still want a physical trip, not a virtual one. Call me a Luddite, but I think we're letting ourselves be dazzled by too many snake charmers.

But let's go back to the bikes, bikes were seen in many stands: Navarra, Asturias, Castilla-La Mancha, Vías Verdes,... there has been talk about bikes in many more: Turespaña, Madrid, Caminos Naturales, Murcia, I know that also in Andalusia and Extremadura, but this year I haven't even had time to get close.

The balance is positive, bicycle tourism is a reality at the fair, but there is also a lot of smoke and fireworks. Huge projects that were presented in 2023 did not exist this year, fantastic projects that we know work are not seen at the fair.

The best, as always, the shared times, the opportunity to see each other in a few days with many colleagues from other places. How difficult it is, sometimes, to agree.

We met at the fair with many companies in the bicycle travel sector and I admit that it is very nice to see how Navarra arrives in Madrid and brings star product cycle tourism. A commitment to the product, to networking in its territory, to its entrepreneurs. It gives pleasure and envy, it must be said. I'm sure they will do very well. They have a fantastic territory to to travel by bicycle.

Finally, some key ideas.

• Traveling is a priority for more and more people. It is noticeable, despite the crisis, price increases, wars, uncertainty, we want to travel, the desire is evident.
• La sustainability has already become a commodity, it is talked about everywhere and everything is already on the way to being sustainable: airline companies, large hotel chains,... we will be able to destroy a mangrove sustainably and communicate it responsibly. For the majority this is a sprint to get everything possible in the short term and we are doing very little to truly address the challenges we face in the sector, especially in relation to climate change and the impact of tourism on that issue.
• The next term that seems to go the same way is that of demographic challenge, depopulation or Empty Spain. Now it seems that tourism will be able to solve what we have not wanted or known how to see in decades. In my opinion, we must be more responsible with what we say. A complex problem like this requires serious, well-planned proposals and we must work in many more sectors. Tourism alone will not be the solution.
• At the 2024 fair, as in 2023, we have heard time and again comments about the projects associated with the funds Next Generation, we ourselves have received funding from the Experiences Program of the Secretary of State for Tourism. Many projects are being executed, many investments are being launched, but we should ask ourselves how many of these actions represent a real change and how many will survive when the funds run out. Sooner or later that moment will come and it is likely that the lean times will return, the administration will run out of money for new projects and, as we have already seen in other crises, only what the private sector manage to make it economically sustainable. They may not be such big projects, but they will be viable and more meaningful projects. In a few years we will see.
• We celebrate growth again of the number of tourists, of the number of international arrivals, of international flights. A wrong paradigm from our humble point of view. We see how Andalusia launches a media campaign with an impact video with the intention of attracting more tourists to destinations that must already be on the verge of exceeding their carrying capacity. Meanwhile, destinations require planning and management that is not always done and our administrations forget that their focus should also be on residents and their quality of life. Places where hosts live well will always be a desired tourist destination.

We are already in February, as always FITUR is the starting signal. Soon we will be preparing the backpack to go to the Bike in Utrecht and Ghent and this year we also extend to the ITB of Berlin.

2024 here we come.