FITUR’s facilities./ Picture: Ifema
Eduardo González. Madrid
The Network of Houses of public diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will carry out a series of activities within the framework of the International Tourism Trade Show (FITUR) directed at supporting the Spanish business tourist sector, at increasing the number and the origin of foreigners visiting Spain, and at promoting the “image-country”.
Casa Árabe has organized a Ministerial forum on tourist development policies and strategies in the region of the Middle East and the North of Africa, in collaboration with the World Tourism Organization (WTO), as it had been announced by its director, Eduardo López Busquets, to The Diplomat in Spain. The event will have the presence of eight of the ministers of Tourism of the region, who have come to Spain on the occasion of FITUR, which will be celebrated at Madrid’s trade fair institution (IFEMA) between 28 January and 1 February.
For its part, Casa África has set in motion the sixth edition of Investour, a forum of tourist business and investments in Africa organized with the collaboration of the WTO. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “Investour is consolidated as a new bridge between Spain and Africa, and a unique opportunity for Spanish investors to establish direct contact with people responsible for projects in more than thirty African countries”.
Casa Asia has organized the course of practical training Chinese Outbound Tourism: a new challenge for the European tourist sector, a training course for professionals in the sector to learn how to deal with tourists from China. “The fast growth of Chinese tourism offers great opportunities for Spain”, according to the Ministry. According to a recent study, Spain has become the destination for 13.2 per cent of Chinese travellers, being above the United Kingdom and Germany. Besides, Casa Asia has prepared a meeting with Thailand’s Minister of Tourism and Sport, Kopkarn Wattanavrangkul.
Casa Árabe organizes a forum with eight ministers of Tourism from the Middle East and the North of Africa
For its part, Centre Sepharad-Israel has collaborated with the presentation, in La Rioja’s pavilion, of the cities from the Red de Juderías de España-Caminos de Sefarad as tourist destination. The Red de Juderías de España-Caminos de Sefarad is a non-profit public association created to defend the Jewish legacy in Spain and 24 cities are part of it, being among them the Riojan locality of Calahorra.
Furthermore, Casa de América will host a presentation about the tourist strategy of the seven countries of Central America included in the Agency of Tourist Promotion of Central America (Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama). Guatemala, the country that is currently exercising the rotating presidency of the Integration System of Central America, will be in charge of the presentation.
