An extensive programme of conferences, day events and expert panels will complement the exhibition at the International Tourism Trade Fair, an event organised by IFEMA to be staged from 30th January to 3rd February 2013 on this occasion.
On these programmes participants will come across a number of case studies relating to business success and ideas aimed at boosting competitiveness within the industry, aspects that offer a value-added dimension with regard to their attendance at the fair.
The schedule includes a number of well-established initiatives such as INVESTOUR, FITURTECH, FITURGREEN, FITUR LGBT and the Travel Managers Congress, to which we might add new projects such as FITUR KNOW-HOW & EXPORT.
A new staging of FITURGREEN will take place on 30th January, 31st January and 1st February, focusing on energy service providers and the hotel industry. Aspects such as investment-free cost reduction, sustainable hotels and sustainability within twenty-first century tourism will be analysed at a series of conferences, workshops and debates that are due to take place in morning and afternoon sessions between 11.00 am and 6.00 pm.
Coinciding with FITURGREEN, FITURTECH will be staged in Hall 10, focusing this year on Third Generation Tourism  or the “Next Travel Generation“. Organised by the Hotel Technology Institute (ITH) and FITUR, this programme will analyse the technological revolution that has taken place over the last ten years, which has led to the emergence of new tools for tourists and has raised a series of new challenges for hotels. In this respect, hotel establishments must seek to set themselves apart and offer added value to their guests through innovation, technology and sustainability, effectively boosting their competitiveness and optimising their resources so that they can cater for new demands.
On 31st January, a new staging of INVESTOUR Africa will take place, consisting of a forum for tourism investment and business on the African Continent. Among other objectives, this initiative seeks to promote Spanish investment in African tourism projects with a view to promoting a sustainable tourism model on the Continent that may serve as an engine for development.
The National Travel Managers Congress will also take place on 31st January, organised by the Iberian Association of Business Travel Managers (IBTA) in collaboration with FITUR. The fifth staging of this meeting will help to consolidate the status of this Congress as the most important trade event for the business travel sector in Spain.
Within the framework of the fair itself, FITUR LGBT will present its third staging as a specialised event for the gay segment. In this respect, it will feature an entire programme of activities, conferences, debates and seminars designed to tackle issues such as the following: standardisation within the segment; established and up-and-coming destinations; new marketing formulas, and the need for consulting and technology.
Among the new features at FITUR 2013, we might highlight the staging of FITUR KNOW-HOW & EXPORT, an initiative created by FITUR, ICEX and SEGITTUR with the aim of enabling tourist companies to present their potential, know-how, services and tourism products to buyers from other markets abroad. Thanks to a comprehensive programme of activities supported by the World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), this new section of the fair will enable tourism authorities from around the world to present the tourism projects, strategies and tenders available in their countries, together with many other business opportunities.
