Madrid will host another edition of FITUR on 19 January, with its sights set on fostering the recovery of tourism in 2022. The progress made in 2021, which was heavily impaired by the persistence of the pandemic, is one of the reasons that the City Council wants to step up its efforts to stimulate a sector that plays a key role in the city’s economy, accounting for nearly 13% of its GDP.

The city of Madrid will invest almost 13 million euros in tourism with the aim of targeting international markets, in particular those of the United States, Latin America, the Middle East and China. It will also undertake a comprehensive transformation of its digitalisation and sustainability, strengthen public-private partnership and connectivity, and attract high-impact tourism that leaves a greater added value footprint throughout the city and in Madrid’s economy.

As stressed by Tourism Councillor Almudena Maíllo, Madrid’s commitment to the tourism industry involves turning it into one of the world's top city destinations. To this end, the department she runs will increase its international campaigns and promotional activities with a budget of almost 6.5 million euros over 2022. Despite this significant international push, it won't lose sight of the national market, which has played a vital role in keeping the tourism industry going in recent months due to restrictions and border closures caused by the pandemic.

FITUR is where the actions will start

The International Tourism Fair, held from 19 to 23 January at IFEMA, will mark the beginning of all of the tourism promotion actions to be carried out by Madrid City Council this year, which will bring the highly anticipated recovery.

At the event, the city will have a prominent space in Hall 9 of IFEMA Madrid, which it will share with Madrid’s regional government. This great international showcase will raise awareness of all of Madrid’s first-rate experiences and tourist offerings among key industry players from over one hundred countries and among the general public.

The city aims to continue its rise in the rankings of the top city destinations in Europe and the world, and to help make 2022 the year that we see a full recovery of tourism activity. Recognised as the World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Destination for the third year in a row and ranked among the top four favourite city destinations to visit in Europe (Euromonitor International Index), Madrid is emerging as a destination that inspires a wealth of emotions – a destination to be experienced and enjoyed over an extended period of time while making the most of its historic legacy, its extensive cultural and leisure offerings, its extraordinary gastronomy and its varied range of shopping and artisanal goods.

Madrid is a city full of experiences that has undergone a transformation in recent years and continues to do so, welcoming new additions and attractions that make it an essential destination for visitors to discover or rediscover: big draws like a host of new hotels, the city’s newly recognised UNESCO World Heritage Site which encompasses the Paseo del Prado and El Retiro Park, and the remodelled Plaza de España and surrounding area all offer us new perspectives from which to enjoy the Spanish capital.

Public-private collaboration

Once again, the presence of institutions and companies from the sector will be a key factor in showcasing the highlights of Madrid's tourism scene. Their collaboration is of vital importance to the City Council and is one of the pillars of Madrid’s tourism model and its Strategic Tourism Plan.

The city of Madrid's enormous potential in terms of culture will be represented by its major museums and art centres, flamenco clubs, nightlife venues and music festivals. Its performing arts offerings, which have earned Madrid a firm reputation as the capital of musicals in Spanish, will also be showcased, as will its culinary diversity. Creativity, design, artisanry and all of the traditional values that represent “Made in Madrid” will also be highlighted, as will Madrid's status as a centre for sport, which has been bolstered by its recent recognition as the World Capital of Sport in 2022.

Madrid in FITUR MICE, FITUR Screen and FITUR LGBT+

As a leading MICE destination, Madrid will also have a presence in the section of the fair devoted to this segment, FITUR MICE, which will be held from 16 to 18 January. The Tourism Department will play a role in this space via Madrid Convention Bureau (MCB), which will hold thirty meetings with industry professionals from the United States, Mexico and South America to inform them of Madrid’s competitive advantages as a destination for conferences, fairs and events.

Major TV series and films shot in Madrid turn thousands of viewers all over the world into potential visitors to the Spanish capital, attracted by the settings they discover on screen. Madrid City Council will foster this rising trend by taking part in FITUR Screen via the Madrid Film Office, which is the municipal body that advises on and promotes films shot in Madrid.

Finally, the City Council will also play a special role at FITUR LGBT+, where it will have a joint stand shared with Madrid's regional government. In this monographic section, the Tourism Department will draw attention to Madrid's open, tolerant and inclusive nature using the slogan “Whoever you love, Madrid loves you”, as well as to the broad range of offerings, tourism resources and events hosted by the city that are of interest to the LGBT+ community.