FITUR Sports 2024 announces France 2024 as: Olympic and Sports Destination Global Partner

FITUR Sports, the section specialising in sports tourism organised by AFYDAD (Spanish Association of Manufacturers and Distributors of Sporting Goods) and FITUR, announces that its Global Partner will be A Tout France, the French Tourism Development Agency. Together with the Nice Metropolitan Tourist Office and BCD SPORT (AVORIS Group), they will be promoting France 2024: Olympic and Sports Destination at the International Tourism Trade Fair.

During the Olympic Games, kicking off on 26 July 2024, and with a calendar of 15 days of Olympic competitions and 10 days of Paralympic Games, Paris will be at the heart of the sporting world. With an expected three billion viewers and 206 National Olympic Committees, the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games are an opportunity to position France as a sports tourism destination. Thus, 100 years after France hosted its last Summer Olympic Games, this event will allow the country to exceed itself in terms of accessibility, inclusion and sustainability.

In its second edition, the FITUR Sports section consolidates the boom in sports tourism and presents an expanded and complete programme with three days of professional conferences and activities over the weekend centred around three key areas: Outdoor Sports, Competitive Sports  and Sports Events & Sports Business Travel.

Full programme of FITUR Sports 2024, in Hall 4 of IFEMA MADRID:

Wednesday 24 January: Outdoor Sports

Speakers such as Francesc Boya, Secretary General for the Demographic Challenge, María de Nova, Director General of Sports Systems and Values of the Junta de Andalucía, and Joan Vehils, Director of Institutional Relations of Prensa Ibérica and Director of Diario Sport, will discuss the role of sports tourism as a driver of socio-economic development. Also participating in the conference will be Trade Bike, Mallorca 312, Vías Verdes, Fundación Ferrocarriles Españoles, EuroSIMA, Lanzarote European Sports Destination, Nazaré City Council, Limbus Sports Marketing, Evasion TV, ATMEX Adventure Travel Network, Ministry of Tourism Ecuador, Baja California Sur, Anayet Sport Marketing, Adventure Travel Trade Association, ANETAE, Ternua Group and Camping Ballena Alegre.

There will also be guest appearances from former cyclists Alberto Contador and Pedro Delgado at FITUR Sports, who will be presenting the next edition of the Total Energies Gran Fondo Alberto Contador race in the municipality of Oliva.

On Wednesday the following conference panels are taking place:

10:45 - Presentation FITUR Sports

11:05-11:35 - Sports and adventure tourism

11:40-12:10 - Sports tourism as a driver of socio-economic development Next Generation Funds and rural development

12:15-12:45 - Bicycle tourism, a segment in expansion

12:50-13:10 - Presentation of the Total Energies Gran Fondo Alberto Contador challenge

13:15-14:45 - Sports tourism and sustainability plans

13:50-14:20 - Surfing as a discipline that promotes destinations

15:00-15:30 - Tourism and active marketing

15:30-16:00 - Sports and adventure tourism in Latin America

16:05-16:35 - Marketing and Communication of sport and active tourism

16:40-17:10 - Sustainability and sports tourism in nature

Thursday 25 January: Competitive Sport

The second day will be attended by representatives such as Héctor Coronel, director of Tourism of the Madrid City Council, and José Hidalgo, president of ADESP, as well as Olympia Quirón Salud, Spanish Footballers Association, World Football Summit, ACB League, RCD Mallorca, 2Playbook, Spanish Golf Courses Association, Royal Spanish Golf Federation, ADO, JOMA, SPSG Consulting, MADCup, Kaptiva Sports, Ubico Sports, Aspar Team, Lenovo Tenerife Basket, Thomas Wellness Group, Andorra Business, Rafa Nadal Academy and Oliva Nova Beach & Golf Resort. The conference panel is as follows:

10:40 - Official institutional inauguration of the FITUR Sports Section

11:05-11:35 - Sports tourism in urban environments: strategy and management of destinations

11:40-12:10 - Impact of professional leagues and sports competitions

12:15-12:45 - Spain, present and future of a leading golf tourism destination

12:50-13:20 - The needs of the elite athlete when travelling. Views of the athletes

13:25-13:55 - Travel of professional sportsmen and sportswomen for medical and health reasons

15:00-15:30 - Travel of professional and competitive teams

15:30-16:00 - Tournaments and sports campuses for elite youth and amateur teams

16:05-16:35 - The sports resort of the future: trends and challenges

16:40-17:10 - Training Camps, one of the main reasons for sports travel

Friday 26 January: Major sporting events & Sport Business

To conclude the professional days of FITUR Sports 2024, the section will feature the expert voices of representatives such as Dominique Maulin, Director of A Tout France Spain & Portugal, Isabel Sánchez, Director General of Events of the Junta de Andalucía, Prensa Ibérica, Runnea, Trinidad Alonso Foundation-Valencia Marathon, AsDeporte (organizers of Ironman, Spartan and Etape du tour in Mexico), Premier Padel, International Sports Travel Agencies Association, Motor Press Ibérica, Mas Cuota, Paula Fernández-Ochoa, Sports Tourism Consulting, Catalunya Convention Bureau. among others.

11:05-11:35 - Impact, bidding and legacy of major sporting events

11:40-12:10 - Running and major sporting events

12:15-12:45 - Tennis and padel tournaments and their role in the growth of racquet sports

12:50-13:20 - Ticketing & VIP Experiences & Corporate Hospitality at sporting events

13:25-13:55 - Sport Business from the perspective of women in sport

14:00-14:30 - MICE & Sports. A sport business travel segment with development potential

14:30 - Conclusions and closing ceremony

In addition, FITUR Sports 2024 will maintain its momentum throughout the weekend by opening its monographic section on sports tourism to visitors. This section will highlight the padel tennis trend and how this sport is becoming an asset and ally of the tourism industry by setting up a stunning padel tennis court, which will host exhibition matches and clinics with renowned players and coaches, as well as sports content for the final general public.

FITUR Sports is organised with the collaboration of AFYDAD and has the support of the sponsors and collaborators confirmed to date in three different categories:

GLOBAL: France 2024: Olympic & Sports

GOLD: Tourism and Sport Andalusia and Olympia Quirón Salud.

SILVER: Comunitat Valenciana, Municipality of Oliva, Lanzarote European Sports Destination, Johan Cruyff Institute, Andorra Esports Cluster, P1 Corporate Hospitality, Mundotours.

BRONZE: ISTAA (International Sports Travel Agencies Association), Blau Hotels, Iberia Sports, Ibiza and Wikiloc.

Padel Tennis Court: Padeltech, Topgreen, Starvie, Tvitec and Enerluxe.