Aragón showcases at FITUR with a stand that bets on technology

Aragón kicks off the 2025 calendar of fairs and promotional events with its participation in FITUR, the most important event of the year held from January 22 to 26 at IFEMA (Madrid). It does so with a new stand, looking toward the community's future without forgetting its past. With the theme "Aragón, evolving through time," the new community space focuses on digitalization and the implementation of advanced technologies, without forgetting the importance of the community's cultural, heritage, and natural legacy. 

"Aragón is a destination with nature, history, and heritage. We want FITUR, the most important fair in the national territory, to know our richness, but also our commitment to the future," stated the Minister of Environment and Tourism, Manuel Blasco, at the presentation of Aragón's participation in FITUR 2025, joined by the Director General of Tourism and Hospitality, Jorge Moncada, and the Head of Tourism Promotion Service, Ignacio Rodríguez.

The Government of Aragón's commitment to modernizing its image is also reflected in an increase in resources dedicated to the stand, with the expansion of the space the community will have, from 6,491 square feet in 2024 to the current 8,038 square feet, a 24% increase. This increase is even greater compared to the 6,318 square feet the community had in 2023. "We can't contract more space until next year, but we've been able to gain space by creating a second floor and utilizing other areas," explained Moncada. 

The Aragonese company Integral Unusual Design has designed the stand, which will represent Aragón not only at FITUR but also at the rest of the national fairs in which the community participates with a design stand, including Madrid Fusión, Navartur (Pamplona), B-Travel (Barcelona), Salon O’Ccygene (Toulouse), Expovacaciones (Bilbao), Aratur (Zaragoza), Turexpo (Galicia), and Intur (Valladolid).

New and innovative design

In this new space, nature embraces an area where Aragón's historical, heritage, and cultural richness merges with its most modern and avant-garde aspect. Emphasizing innovation, great prominence is given to new technologies and interactivity with the visitor. Therefore, both outdoor experiences, related to nature, mountains, and active tourism, and immersive experiences, linked to future mobility and astrotourism, stand out.

A forest crowned by a mountain range will illustrate the entire front of the stand, creating a powerful, attractive, and suggestive first visual impact. 

To add dynamism and movement, a huge screen will display a timelapse recreating the change of day, from dawn to dusk. Additionally, the stand's ceiling will focus on astronomical tourism, presenting an impressive starry sky as the final attraction of the main plaza, thanks to an aerial structure occupying 3,229 square feet. This central plaza will become a versatile space, with a capacity for up to 250 people, where various activities such as performances, product presentations, lectures, debates, animation shows, and theater, as well as events related to enogastronomy, will take place. As a novelty, a real waterfall will be installed in one of the corners, reflecting Aragón's natural diversity.

The area will feature an elevated platform, mobile benches for the public, a 16x10-foot videowall, and a central kitchen island 13 feet long, where showcooking and other gastronomic activities will take place, reaffirming the connection between tourism and gastronomy as a key to attracting visitors to Aragón.

The plaza will also include three thematic spaces representing Aragón's three provinces: an aerial drone with a virtual reality activity, representing Zaragoza; a Galáctica planetarium for Teruel; and an "Arch of Time" for Huesca, which will feature a viewpoint on the second floor of the stand, accessible through an animated activity focused on active and sports tourism.

The planetarium, spherical in shape and measuring 840 square feet, will also serve as a second stage and will be used for an activity called "Hora Marchica," an après-ski experience that will take place at the end of each day, with video projections about Aragonese snow, lights, and a cocktail tasting organized by the Association of Maitres and Barmans of Aragón. Attendees will also be able to experience virtual reality in the Zaragoza drone, traveling to outer space from Plaza del Pilar, in a space sponsored by Fundación Ibercaja through Mobility City.

The "Arch of Time" will offer an immersive experience in the past, highlighting the international station of Canfranc, and on the upper floor, the "Balcony of the Pyrenees" will offer panoramic views, complemented by a climbing wall that will add dynamism to the experience.

Regarding the programming, the Day of Aragón, celebrated on January 24, will be the highlight of the tourism promotion, with presentations on the "Aragón Tourism Intelligence System" and "Sports Tourism," as well as a tribute to Aragonese Michelin stars. Additionally, the new promotional video "Aragón, a place to experience it all" will be screened. FITUR will also serve as a meeting space for tourism professionals, where Aragonese institutions and companies will come together to strengthen the regional tourism offer.

Aragón will use this event to hold meetings with international organizations to strengthen its promotion abroad and promote joint actions for the 2025 Annual Operational Plan. These efforts focus on ensuring sustained tourism growth in the region.

According to the most recent statistics, until October, Aragón has broken its own record in terms of visitors, reaching 3,508,142, a 5% increase compared to the previous year, surpassing historical tourism figures. Foreign tourism has also seen a notable increase, with 819,703 visitors, representing a 10.4% increase from last year, and overnight stays have also experienced a significant rise, reaching 7,660,627.