Menorca attends FITUR with sustainability and deseasonalisation as key themes

From 22 to 26 January, Madrid will host the most important fair for the promotion of tourism in the country, where Menorca will present some of the most important sporting events of this year

The Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca (FFTM) will be present at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), which will be held in Madrid from 22 to 26 January 2025. Sharing space with the rest of the Balearic Islands, Menorca will present its strategies and proposals to position itself as an attractive, sustainable and quality tourist destination throughout the year. For this reason, the Menorcan expedition will officially present three of the most spectacular sporting events that will take place on the Island in 2025: the Queen's Cup in volleyball, the ATP Challenger in tennis and the Spanish athletics championship, among other actions.

The FFTM team is attending FITUR with a roadmap that prioritizes four major objectives. The first is to de-seasonalize tourism: “We are working to extend the tourist season to 9 months, stimulating the arrival of visitors outside the summer months. Menorca wants to present itself as a destination that offers unique experiences throughout the year, from autumn to spring, highlighting its natural, cultural, gastronomic and sporting wealth. Our mission is to achieve the arrival of visitors in a balanced way throughout the year and thus advance in tourism sustainability,” explains the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca and the FFTM, Adolfo Vilafranca.

The second objective is to expand air connectivity, closing and strengthening agreements and collaborations with tour operators, airlines, travel agencies and companies in the tourism sector. “We are looking to increase air connections with the island, both in frequency and number of seats, ensuring accessibility that allows us to attract more visitors at any time of the year,” explains Vilafranca.

In 2024, the airport recorded 1,065,090 arrivals of national visitors, making it the island's main tourist market. In this sense, more than 50% of the 25 scheduled meetings will be focused on connectivity.
Likewise, the Fundació Foment del Turisme de Menorca wants to reinforce the image of sustainable Menorca. "To this end, FITUR will be a key platform to reaffirm Menorca's commitment to sustainability, a characteristic that has positioned it as a benchmark," says the president of the Island Council and the FFTM. The island, declared a Biosphere Reserve more than 30 years ago, will assert its model based on the preservation of the natural environment, local culture and responsible consumption. The measures that are being worked on to be more sustainable and minimize the impact as much as possible will also be explained.

Another objective is to promote Menorca as a versatile and quality destination. For this reason, Menorca wants to highlight its ability to offer sports, gastronomic and cultural experiences. It is also positioned as an emerging destination in the MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) field, ideal for those looking to organise professional meetings in a unique and stimulating environment.

From hiking on the Camí de Cavalls and water sports to visits to archaeological sites within the Talayotic Menorca, or tastings of local products, Menorca offers a wide variety of activities. FITUR will be an opportunity to show how the island combines tradition and innovation in a diverse, sustainable tourist offer adapted to all types of public.

The FITUR agenda includes more than 25 scheduled meetings with tour operators, travel agencies, airlines and specialised agents. In addition, the FFMT has organised 6 public presentations. The Menorcan delegation headed by Vilafranca includes representatives from 7 town councils on the island.

“We trust that this edition of FITUR will be a key meeting point to generate new strategic alliances and reinforce our commitment to a tourism model that takes care of the natural and cultural environment while promoting balanced economic development. The national visitor is the island's main market. We want to continue to build loyalty and promote their arrival out of season," concludes the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca and the FFTM.