the rrecovery of the tourism sector is running despite foreseeable rise in prices. The rising cost of fuel is making itself felt and it is expected that next summer prices will increase by a minimum of 12%, according to calculations by the president of the B-Travel Lounge and the employers of travel agencies Acave, Marti Sarrate. The tourism sector aspires to achieve in 2022 a turnover equivalent to 70% of the income of 2019, in a clear recovery environment of activity but still between uncertainties for Easter and next summer derived from the war in Ukraine and the increase in fuel costs. Flights and transfers will be more expensive this year. Despite the improvement in indicators and demand, with more customers willing to travel again, the effect that the war in Europe will have on tourist flows is still unknown to the sector. Nearby destinations are once again the main ones, although there is a slightly higher demand from US travelers. Recovery to pre-pandemic activity levels is not expected until 2024.
B-Travelthe class of tourism of experiences from Fair of Barcelona, will return between April 1 and 3 to be a relevant piece for the tourist revival registered this year. Aimed at travellers, B-Travel wants to serve as a guide in planning trips in times of interesting opportunities. With the presence of a hundred exhibitors, the Montjuïc venue will host more than 500 companies in 6,500 square meters of exhibition space. A gastronomic exhibition, B-Delicious, is also planned. Renfe is once again the official sponsor of the fair, but travel agencies such as RACC Travel or cruise operators such as Cruceros Australis or Celebrity Cruisers also participate, as well as proposals for food and wine tourism, rural or industrial tourism, giving shape to the largest trade fair event in Spain intended for the final traveling public.
the president of the hall, Marti Sarrate, stated during the presentation this Monday of the show that “tourism activity is on the way to recovery and events such as B-Travel are of great importance in contributing to the revitalization of the sector”. The tourist recovery is underway, both for the receiving travel agencies and for those who plan the trips. The main airports are registering more activity these days and the flights show higher occupancy levels than last year.
Among the proximity destinations, they stand out as main novelties of the fair the participation of the autonomous communities of Cantabria and La Rioja, the provinces of Almería and Teruel, the cities of Segovia and Vitoria-Gasteiz, the island of Formentera and Paradores Nacionales. These destinations are added to the traditional presence of the tourist boards of Barcelona, Girona, Lleida and Tarragona, as well as the communities of Andalusia, Aragon, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands, Cantabria, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, the Valencia Community, Galicia, Extremadura, Navarra or Madrid.
In the international arena, B-Travel It has the presence of the official tourism organizations of countries such as Brazil, Croatia, Cuba, Portugal and Morocco, while the more than 30 participating travel agencies offer the possibility of visiting destinations such as, for example, Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ireland, Indonesia, Iceland, Mexico, Norway, Romania, Thailand or Vietnam. One of the trends registered in the tourism sector is the contracting of last minute trips. This situation complicates the activity of intermediaries such as travel agencies.
The show’s director, Marta Serra, stated that “at the moment, when it is difficult to do long term plans, B-Travel is configured as the great travel platform to give visitors the opportunity to plan their Easter and summer vacations”. “For this reason, the motto of this year’s edition is ‘We have a pending trip’ , since we want to make the desire to travel again after such difficult years come true,” says Serra. Activities are also planned to put professionals in the sector in contact.
tastings
One of the great attractions of the room will be B-Delicious, the food and wine space of B-Travel which, for the first time, will take place under a marquee installed in the open air in Plaza Univers and in which more than fifteen stands will give all visitors the opportunity to embark on a gastronomic tour of high quality. In 2022, the Valencian Community will be the main protagonist of this space through its label L’Exquisit Mediterrani which will give the public the opportunity to taste the best Valencian rice, highlighting the participation of the NGO Alicante Gastronómica Solidaria, which will allocate all of its proceeds to Ukrainian refugees. In addition, from one euro per dish you can try culinary specialties from various parts of Spain and the world. The B-Travel gastronomic exhibition will also include various cooking shows, tastings, presentations and discussion tables.