The 31st edition of the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), organized by IFEMA was held successfully from 19 - 23 January, 2011.  FITUR has confirmed the participation of more than 10,500 companies from 166 countries and/or regions occupying 10 exhibition halls at Feria de Madrid, covering 75,000 square meters of net exhibition which represented 2% growth figure in the business area, which bodes well for the recovery of the tourism industry, while also demonstrating the importance of FITUR as a premier travel and tourism market place.

10 Exhibitions halls separated by courtyard with covey belts lined with palm trees to help visitors going from one hall to another	Strategically positioned China stand attracted many interested visitors and was very popular during the fair

China pavilion enjoyed one of the biggest crowds coming through being strategically positioned right at the entrance of the Hall 2 where most visitors coming through the main gate.  The attractively decorated meeting areas of the China Pavilion also received some VIP visitors such as the Minister of Tourism of Andorra accompanied by its Ambassador and General Manager of Andorra Turisme met up with the Chinese Ambassador to Spain H.E. Mr. Zhu Bangzao.

Chinese Ambassador to Spain H.E. Mr. Zhu Bangzao met with Minister of Tourism of Andorra Hon. Mr. Claudi Benet (L1), Andorra Ambbassador to Spain H.E. Mr. Manez Pujades (R2) and General Manager of Andorra Turisme Mr. Aleandre Andres (R1)	Dr. Kurt Grocht Director of Flamenco Museum in Servilla with Dr. Adam Wu, COO of China Business Network at China Pavilion

To recognise the growing importance of the travel and tourism to and from China, FITUR invited Hosted Buyers from China with the assistance of CBN for the first time which proved to be a success.  The Chinese buyers were impressed by the vast number of exhibitors from both Spain and all around the world. They also enjoyed the special workshop which was organised by FITUR for exhibitors to meet with selected buyers at their designated desks away from the hassle and bustle of the main exhibition halls. "The workshop provided both exhibitors and hosted buyers with the opportunity of matching their requirements as each of them have their focus and special interests. It also saved much time from searching for potential suppliers or partners by rushing around the vast exhibition areas" commented  Dr. Wu, the Chief Operating Officer of CBN Travel & MICE. 

The interesting China stands attracted both trade professionals and visitors alike	Chinese hosted buyers were busy talking to exhibitors at FITUR Workshop

FITUR 2011 were also welcoming some destinations for the first time, such as the Republic of the Congo and Pakistan, as well as new official delegations from New Zealand, Lebanon and South Africa, all demonstrating their confidence in FITUR as a first-class platform to promote their tourist offerings. FITUR’s clout is also evidenced by the growth in participation by some longstanding fair exhibitors, such as CATA, The Central American Tourism Promotion Agency, which for the 2011 edition has increased by 24% its already significant presence at the fair last year, reflected the tourism industry’s recovery.

Macau and Nepal are also not far neighbours  in Spain	Historical Jordan stands
FITUR is also characterised by colourful stand with interesting performances especially during the public days on Saturday and Sunday	Traditional musicians and performers from Panama song and danced at their colourful stand

Many exhibitors from Africa brought their handicrafts to FITUR	At the stand of Thailand visitors witnessed the live caving of vegetables

Background Information:

FITUR is a meeting point for tourism professionals in which they can establish lines of action, strategies and business alliances to energize and consolidate the tourism business, innovating to answer the changing demands of the market.Tourism promotion agencies, operators, hotels, travel agencies, consultancies and experts in international tourism management and development will all meet in Madrid for FITUR.

Relavent news in Chinese: 2011西班牙国际旅游交易会落幕 在世界旅游业复苏背景下分享机遇