The Fitur international tourism fair starts in Madrid on Wednesday (January 24).
One of the big three European tourism fairs for the Balearics - the others are London and Berlin - the emphasis, obviously enough, is on promotion to Spanish tourism.
In overall terms, Spain is the third largest tourist market for the Balearics behind Germany and the UK. Up to November 2023 (December's figures aren't yet available), there were 3.3 million Spanish tourists compared with 4.5 million German and 3.7 million UK. This represented annual growth of 3.7%, the Spanish market having grown to the point where it is currently the leading market in August. This was the case in 2023 and in 2022.
In 2020 and 2021, years badly affected by the pandemic, Spain was the main market. Since 2019 it has grown by 24%, and the Balearic government will be looking at building further on this growth at Fitur.
But because the focus for the current government (plus the Council of Mallorca) is the same as that of the previous government, the promotional drive is not about the high summer. The messages will be about sustainability and addressing seasonality.
One particular area of promotion will be nautical tourism. Having been absent from the fair for ten years, the regional ports authority, PortsIB, is making a return. "It represents a unique opportunity to highlight the government's commitment to the creation of more sustainable ports and responsible nautical tourism," says Antoni Mercant, the director-general of ports and maritime transport.
The Council of Mallorca will be focusing its promotion on gastronomy and on advancing the island's potential for filmmakers and for the audio-visual sector in general. Michelin-starred Mallorcan chefs Maca de Castro and Andreu Genestra will be preparing dinner for a networking event, while the Council will also be making a presentation on the big thing for both it and the government - responsible tourism.