Tourexpi
FITUR 2025 is set to boost tourism business between China and Spain
FITUR
2025, to be held from 22 to 26 January, organised by IFEMA MADRID,
is to promote the growing tourism relationship between China and Spain,
as evidenced by the increase in the flow of visitors and number of flights. In
addition to the official representation through the China Tourism Office
in Spain, numerous Chinese companies, such as tour operators,
technological solutions for hospitality or official Chinese incoming agencies
will be participating.
According
to Turespaña, in the first nine months of 2024 a total of 517,000
Chinese tourists visited Spain with a 17% increase in spending
compared to 2019. For its part, Spanish interest in travelling to China has
also grown, as reflected in the increase of bookings in agencies and transport
companies. As a European tourist destination, Spain is better
positioned than ever in the Chinese market.
The Chinese
government recorded a total of 424 million people entering and
leaving China in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 266.5 per cent
over 2022, according to its National Immigration Administration. Visa
exemption policies for Chinese citizens have been a key factor in encouraging
tourism from China, as well as the efforts of its authorities to attract
international tourists, eliminating the need for 15-day visas for several
countries, including Spain, until the end of 2025, making FITUR an
ideal scenario for promoting itself as a destination.
During
the first half of 2024, according to Chinese analytics company FastData,
the number of Chinese overseas travellers reached 60.71 million, up 50.4%
year-on-year, and has recovered by 74.7% compared to 2019. This figure is
expected to grow in the second half of the year, reaching 90% of 2019 levels in
the first half of 2025.
In
terms of connectivity, Spain has increased its frequencies of direct
flight to China by 38% with 44 weekly flights and 55% more seats
available compared to 2019. This increase contributes to supporting the
deseasonalisation of tourism in Spain, particularly in off-peak seasons.
In
2024, FITUR attracted 9,000 companies, 152 countries and more than 250,000
visitors.
Image Credit: © FITUR/IFEMA MADRID
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