FiturNext 2024 presents its full programme focused on depopulation and territorial revitalisation
Renowned experts will be debating over the course of four days on how tourism can contribute to alleviating depopulation.
FITUR's Sustainability Observatory, organised with Ideas for Change, announces the support of Enrique Tomás, who will present his project which, with ham as a common denominator, will offer sustainable experiences with dehesas and rural areas.
FiturNext, the FITUR Observatory dedicated to promoting best tourism practices in terms of sustainability, organised together with Ideas for Change, announces a full four-day agenda for this year’s edition. With the help of industry experts, the programme includes presentations, conferences, round tables and even a university workshop focused on promoting a tourism model that is committed to rural areas and their revitalisation and contributes to reducing the demographic problem.
This agenda will be complemented on 24 January by theFiturNext 2024 Challenge awards ceremony. Genalguacil (Museum Village), Recartografías and the Camino del Cid are the winning initiatives this year, with the projects that are most aligned with the challenge: how tourism can contribute to the revitalisation of the territories.
In addition, FITUR Next announces that this edition will be sponsored by Enrique Tomás, the world's leading ham marketing company, which will present at FITUR a new project that will revolutionise the world of ham and which is born as a country project to put this product in its rightful place. With its proposal, and with ham as the common denominator, it will seek to offer an experience that promotes Spanish culture, respectful of nature and showcasing the beauty of our country's pastures, rural landscapes, the sustainability of its companies, art and the age-old work around the gastronomy that brings so much good news to our country. A project for a country, where all the actors will be rewarded for their efforts towards excellence in a sustainable world.
FiturNext 2024 is taking place within the framework of the Madrid International Tourism Trade Fair, which runs from 24 to 28 January organised by IFEMA MADRID. Here is the full programme:
Wednesday 24 January
12:30 | Official opening and welcome
Dr. Daniela Freund, Member of the FiturNext Advisory Council
12:35 | Presentation 'FiturNext 2024 Report: adopting what already works, keys to facing challenges and generating value in tourism and achieving the revitalisation of territories'.
Francisco Rodríguez, Ideas for Change
13:00 | Awards ceremony 'FiturNext 2024 replicable initiatives'.
Presentation of diplomas to finalists and prizes to winners.
15:45 | Round table 'Organisations for territorial revitalisation'.
Moderated by: Javi Creus
Participants: Ana Abade, Booking; Ignacio Sanchís, Hispasat y Antonio Calvo Roy, Redeia.
16:45 | Dialogue 'Winning initiative'.
Land custody and nature-based tourism in Mas Blanco and San Agustín (Teruel), a success story.
Participants: Daniel Riera, Mayor of San Agustín and Isabel San Juan, Recartografías, and Nuria Salvador, Recartografías
17:10 | Dialogue 'Winning initiative'.
Genalguacil Museum Village: Art against depopulation, a success story
Participants: Miguel Ángel Herrera, Mayor of Genalguacil and promoter of the GPM project and María José Rodríguez, 1st Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture in Genalguacil.
17:35 | Dialogue 'Winning initiative'.
Camino del Cid, a journey into the interior
Participants: Javier Martín Olmos, manager of the local action group Tierras del Cid and Alberto Luque, manager of the Camino del Cid Consortium.
Thursday 25 January
11:25 | Presentation second day
11:30 | Round table 'Public policies with a depopulation perspective'.
Moderated by: Francisco Rodríguez, Ideas for Change
Participants: Francesc Boya Alós, Secretary General for the Demographic Challengee; Jesús Aliqe, Commissioner for the Demographic Challenge of Castilla-La Mancha and Juan González Mellizo, Head of Communication at the Representation of the European Commission in Spain.
12:15 | Round table 'Local policies in depopulated territories'.
Moderated by: Francisco Rodríguez, Ideas for Change
Participants: Emma Buj Sánchez, Mayor of Teruel; Miguel Ángel Herrera, Mayor of Genalguacil and Daniel Riera, Mayor of San Agustín.
13:00 | Talk by sponsor: 'País Jamón Tour by Enrique Tomás'
16:00 | Presentation
16:05 | Keynote 'Tourism and Rural Development: The example of the Best Tourism Villages by UNWTO
Participating: Antonio López de Ávila, UNWTO (Best Tourism Villages)
16:20 | Keynote 'Agrotourism experiences, how to take advantage of opportunities between Tourism and the Primary Sector'.
Participating: Enrique Martínez Marín, SEGITTUR
16:35 | Dialogue 'Film tourism as a strategy for the development of Empty Spain. The vision of Turespaña and the Spain Film Commission'.
Participants: Blanca Pérez-Sauquillo, Tourspain and Spain Film Commission
17:05 | Round table 'Technology against depopulation'.
Moderated by: Isabel Benítez
Participants: Miguel Pérez Jiménez, Mayor of Castril; Esther Rodríguez, My Street Book; Elena Rubio, Centro Innovación Turística Villa San Roque and Enrique Lara, Ok Located.
17:45 | Conversation 'How to generate value in your destination or company through the revitalisation of the territory'.
Open to the public
Friday 26 January
11:25 | Friday presentation
11:30 | Presentation 'What's next? Let's talk about the FiturNext 2025 Challenge'.
Participating: Francisco Rodríguez, Ideas for Change
12:15 | Dialogue 'Winner Challenge 2023 - Regeneration, beyond sustainability'.
Elsa Boloix, Iberostar
12:45 | Round Table 'Cultural heritage in the face of depopulation'.
Moderated by: Sandra Campos, Ideas for Change
Participating: Serafina Buj, Abriendo pueblos by T- Guío; Ramón Recuero, Escuela de Herreros; César del Valle, Centro Expositivo ROM and Julio César, Jachal Tierra Adentro
13:15 | Presentation 'Observatory on rural tourism 2023: trends and opportunities
Participants: Olivia Fontela, Marketing Director at EscapadaRural; Dr. Enric López, Professor and researcher, CETT-UB. Fund-raising; Entrepreneurship and Awards and CETT Fundació
16:00 | Presentation
16:05 | Round Table 'Cultural roots for territorial revitalisation'.
Moderated by: Alex Che, Málaga es Mundial
Participants: Juan José Manzano, Almanatura; Carolina Heredia, Mama Uma Travel; Agathe Daudibon, Eurovelo and Ernesto Pastor, Montañas Vacías.
Saturday, 27 January
11:25 | Saturday presentation
11:30 | Workshop with universities
Participating: Smart Tourism Hub
13:30 | End of day and FiturNext 2024 closing