Costas Koumis, deputy minister of tourism, Cyprus, gave the below speech at the recent Travel Expo 2025 Exhibition, which took place on April 25.

The 45th International Tourism Fair, organised by IFEMA MADRID, closes its doors on January 26 with outstanding participation and attendance figures. FITUR has exceeded expectations, reaching a first estimate of nearly 255,000 visitors, with significant growth in its first three days, which welcomed 155,000 professionals.

Organized by IFEMA MADRID, the International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR) brings together the global tourism market in its 45th edition, showcasing from January 22 to 26 the outstanding performance of the tourism industry in 2024 and the promising expectations for 2025.

FITUR 2025, taking place from January 22-26, organised by IFEMA MADRID, will be highlighting the strong tourism potential between Spain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where around 10 companies will be exhibiting their tourism offers at the trade fair, mainly tour operators and Dubai’s iconic Atlantis Hotel, among others.

Tourism has reached 790 million international tourists, generating a direct global economic impact of approximately USD3.4 trillion in the first seven months of this year, according to UN Tourism statistics.

The number of pre-qualified buyers attending this year’s World Travel Market London increased by 11 percent compared to 2023, with organisers of the world’s most influential travel and tourism event thrilled to confirm 5,049 world class buyers came through its doors, over three-days.