MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gibraltar in Madrid Tourism Exhibition

The Gibraltar Tourist Board is currently exhibiting at the 26th edition of FITUR (Feria Internacional de Turismo) in Madrid this week, reports the Gibraltar Chronicle.

The exhibition is targeted at tourism industry professionals for the first three days, and then to the general public for the final two days, over the weekend, and is always very well supported. The 75 square metres Gibraltar stand, which was launched at last year's fair, has been updated with new images for this year.

Tourism Minister Joe Holliday said FITUR was increasingly becoming important as a selling tool for Gibraltar. "We are now beginning to see a more enthusiastic reaction from the Spanish tourism industry and it is vital that Gibraltar continues to be promoted in order to grow our share of this important market. Gibraltar's stand at FITUR provides the tourism industry in Gibraltar with an effective platform from which to sell their products and services," he added.

Meanwhile a GTB spokesman said the stand would be manned by staff from the Gibraltar Tourist Board, and would provide meeting areas for representatives of Gibraltar's travel and tourism industry using the stand.

On the eve of FITUR, the Tourism Minister will host a dinner in Madrid for a number of Spanish travel journalists at which he will present the journalism travel award for 2005.

The Minister will then visit the Gibraltar stand on the opening day of the exhibition, accompanied by Peter Canessa, GTB Chief Executive. Mr Holliday will also attend a reception hosted by MedCruise, the Association of Mediterranean Cruise Ports, which will be held at the FITUR exhibition centre.