FITUR incorporates FITUR SALUD ("Fitur Health") in response to a type of tourism that has huge growth potential

In collaboration with Spaincares, the new section at the trade fair will include an exhibition area, a conference programme and a series of personalised appointments with trade buyers

The International Tourism Trade Fair, FITUR, to be staged by IFEMA from 28th January to 1st February 2015 at FERIA DE MADRID, has created a new section in order to cater for a sector that presents huge growth potential and some bright prospects: FITUR SALUD. This section, which has been promoted jointly by the cluster known as Spaincares, will occupy Hall 8 at the exhibition centre, which brings together the companies taking part at FITUR. In an area that is clearly defined, this section will feature an exhibition space to present the products and services offered by the participating companies, together with a forum for analysis and debate, which will host the staging of an intensive programme of trade conferences. The new section will also include an area for meetings and B2B appointments, all of which will be personalised and pre-arranged, based on the attendance of a selection of Spanish and foreign guests at the event (facilitators and brokers, insurance companies, specialised agencies and medical opinion-leaders in countries of origin).

This initiative, which constitutes one of the main new developments at FITUR, evolved as a result of the participation of Spaincares, a cluster that seeks to promote health tourism in Spain as a means of boosting the Spain brand, at the last staging of FITUR back in January 2014. It also seeks to reflect the growing importance of a key sector within the national tourist industry as a whole, one in which Spain is very well positioned.

In this respect, Spain is an enviable destination within this field, effectively offering high-quality health services of world renown that are also highly competitive, based on their excellent quality/price ratio. Furthermore, Spain's neighbouring countries are amongst the leading health tourism exporters. Millions of individuals, generally with high purchasing power, travel each year in order to receive health, wellness, prevention, diagnostic and rehabilitation services ...

In fact, health tourism presents an average annual rate of growth of 20% and the forecast worldwide turnover for 2015 comes to 128 thousand million euros.

FITUR SALUD offers companies within this sector an opportunity to present their products and services and to establish direct contact with potential customers. This initiative is aimed at the following participants: certified hospitals and health centres, spas, facilitators, medical insurance companies, health tourism destinations, specialised travel agencies and tour operators, companies that provide certified complementary services, companies associated with the health cluster, associations and publications.