This year I finally made it to FITUR. In this post I will tell about you my impressions of the stand La Rioja had and the activities I undertook during the days I spent at the show. First, I would like to start with a general impression.
On the days that I could observe, I noted that unfortunately for Spanish tourism the international stands attracted more visitors. In fact, every time I visited an international stand it was full of visitors. Spanish stands, on the contrary, although not woefully under populated were not as full as they had been in recent years.
Nonetheless, I want to congratulate Andalusia Tourism for the part they played at FITUR. They are truly worthy of admiration because of the resources and the effort they put into promoting themselves. It is true that Andalusia is a community that lives in large part through tourism and they always know how to put their best foot forward. How? By exploiting the image that most outsiders have of them. One of fiesta, flamenco, beaches, good food, relaxation and good living.
With respect to La Rioja´s stand- it was attractive and shouted out for attention with a variety of activities to show off the great variety of food and wine in La Rioja. The Stand was similar to last year but this year the difference was in the dress of the hostess, without a doubt one of the best of all the Spanish stands. Here was a stand where the public could enjoy many organized activities such as, wine therapy treatments, wine tasting, Cameros cheese, cookery, etc...
On Thursday I had the honor of being invited to the Day of La Rioja, attended by the President of the Community, Pedro Sanz. He was correct to say that La Rioja is a timeless destination, that any season is ripe for a visit. He also commented that in La Rioja there is so much to see, we have dining, paleontological sites, rural tourism, etc.. He added that the Riojans are people who will welcome you with open arms and make you feel at home. He can attest to this by saying that he himself visited La Rioja and never left.
I end the post with a brief reflection as a result of a conversation I had in Madrid. In times of crisis-Is tourism is something dispensable? Does it change the mode of travel or destinations? In my humble opinion, tourism is evolving with or without crisis, which affects it. People are still traveling but their destinations are closer to home so tourism has not been affected the crisis, people are still traveling and discovering new destinations .
From here I invite you to visit La Rioja, it will not disappoint you.
