Madrid will be one of the big destinations at the 35th annual FITUR (International Tourism Fair), which will take place from January 28 to February 1 at the IFEMA trade fair complex. Together the City Council and Regional Government of Madrid will present their respective offerings, paying special attention to football which is one of the main attractions for Spanish and foreign visitors.

Following the creation of the Asociación Turismo de Madrid, a new model of public/private management, and in keeping with the collaboration initiated in previous years, the City Council ? through the municipal company Madrid Destino?s Department of Tourism ? and the Regional Government of Madrid will share a stand, once again, in pavilion 9C03. The rental of this space has been co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The goal is to give professionals and the general public a strong, single image of Madrid as a destination. This has been made possible thanks to joint efforts and cooperation between these two administrations to promote tourism in Madrid, following the road map that will guide its tourism strategy in the next five years: the 2015-2019 Strategic Plan for Tourism in Madrid Tourism.

Madrid in a stadium
Football is a huge asset and a recognisable brand for Madrid, thanks to its four teams: Real Madrid, Atlético de Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe. The success of Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid has made these clubs great ambassadors of Madrid as a travel destination, promoting it abroad and conveying excitement and passion. That?s why the design of the Madrid stand at this year?s FITUR simulates a football field, lending visibility to this attraction and reflecting its growing importance within the traditional tourist circuit.

The Madrid stand at the International Tourism Fair will feature a ?stadium? with stands full of people, a ?playing field? with ?turf? where all kinds of leisure and sports demonstrations will be held, and a horizontal strip of LEDs under the stadium roof showing the events taking place in the stand as well as messages about Madrid tourism.

Visitors will be able to have their picture taken with some of each team?s most popular trophies and check out objects (the players? shirts, footballs etc.), photos and videos of the clubs. There will also be a penalty kick simulator, a fun activity aimed at the general public where visitors can attempt a penalty kick at a goal with a virtual goalie.

Gastronomy, culture, shopping and leisure
In addition, there will be different spaces devoted to Madrid?s other big tourist draws: its natural heritage, its cultural and entertainment calendar and its shopping and culinary offerings. In each of these spaces, local companies will provide information about what Madrid has to offer in each sector. The gastronomic area will feature a special counter for show cooking activities.

The stand will also have a main stage with a video wall where audiovisual pieces about Madrid?s tourist attractions will be projected, as well as a networking area for presentations and professional meetings with travel agents and tour operators from the domestic and foreign travel industry.

Events calendar
During FITUR, the Madrid stand will host several official events, including the ceremonies for the Hermestur Awards and Madrid Acoge and the Tribute Awards for the Madrid Tourism Sector, the celebration of Madrid Day or the renewal of collaboration agreements with the cities of New York, Seville and Buenos Aires. There will also be presentations about accessible tourism, by the Travel Festival and the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum.

As for cultural and entertainment activities, there will be cooking demonstrations by the gourmet space Platea and the Corral de la Morería, performances by Café de Chinitas and a dance workshop by the Víctor Ullate School./