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BTL 2018

30th EDITION EXCEEDED ALL EXPECTATIONS AND CONFIRMED COMMITMENT TO NATIONAL TOURISM

The 30th edition of BTL – Lisbon Travel Market, held at FIL, in Lisbon, was a great success and achieved record participation figures for exhibitors, professionals of the tourism sector and attractions for the public.

In total, the fair registered 77,000 visitors, which confirms an increase compared to the previous year, a growing tendency year after year. Particularly during the first three days, which saw 39,000 professionals establish new businesses and partnerships, representing an increase of 1,112 professionals compared to last year. During the weekend, 38,000 visitors made the most of the exclusive promotions and discounts available at BTL.

Fátima Vila Maior, Director of trade fairs at FIL and BTL Coordinator, said: “We are very pleased with this edition and the results achieved exceeded all our expectations. BTL 2018 was in fact a showcase of the current and future state of the national and international tourism sector. We were able to confirm the vitality and importance of Tourism for the economy and the daily life of the Portuguese people. The feedback we received from both the pros and the public could not be more positive, which further raises the bar for the next edition.”

“The focus this year, for the internal market, was on the various Portuguese regions and their municipalities, a total of 50 individual representations – 20 more than in 2017, presented the best of their cultural, ethnic and gastronomic heritage. In addition to the presence of every national tourism region, the Centro region, as National Guest Destination, and Pampilhosa da Serra, as National Guest Municipality, were highlighted and succeeded in charming the public with an extensive programme of activities and the vast diversity they offer,” concludes Fátima Vila Maior.

The 30th edition of BTL received official visits from the Prime Minister, António Costa, the Minister of Economy, Manuel Caldeira Cabral and the Secretary of State for Tourism, Ana Mendes Godinho, among other institutional personalities of the political and economic panorama, reinforcing the weight of this event for the national economy.

One of the main focuses of the 30th edition was the BTL Lab&Trends area, dedicated to innovation in the sector. The first edition involved 20 startup and 10 tech companies. This area was also used for startup and tech company pitches, four Talks during which topics related to trends, innovation and the future were discussed, with guest speakers and a large audience.

The trade professionals also responded very positively to the BTL Meetings Industry / MICE, an area developed for the Business Tourism sector, which was highlighted in this edition for its promotion of a specific Hosted Buyers programme. This area brought together companies and entities promoting multiple national offers and that demonstrate the excellence and quality of this segment, which has grown exponentially in Portugal. Also worth mentioning is the participation of the Employability Exchange, organised by Fórum Turismo 2.1, which presented more than 10,000 job vacancies, an increase of around 6,000 jobs compared to 2017.

The Hosted Buyers programme involved more than 400 international buyers from 39 markets, nine more countries compared to 2017, which held more than 3,273 pre-scheduled and scheduled meetings with companies present at BTL. Noteworthy partnerships with TAP, Turismo de Portugal, APAVT, partner hotels and Grupo Barraqueiro added to the success of this programme.

According to Fátima Vila Maior, “this year’s edition excelled thanks to the innovation and dynamism of the participating companies. An example of this was the BTL Lab&Trends area, an area that, given its success, promises to innovate even more in 2019, or the Kids Route, an activity which took place for the second time, with twice as many participants as last year, confirming an investment in future travellers through the discovery of Portugal”.

Organised by FIL, the AIP Foundation, BTL 2018 was attended by 42 international destinations, including Morocco, Egypt, Cuba, Argentina, Colombia, Peru and Brazil, participating for the first time or returning to mark their presence at the fair.

BTL 2018The Man2018-03-16T17:49:57+00:00

PAMPILHOSA DA SERRA IS THE BTL 2018 GUEST MUNICIPALITY

Pampilhosa da Serra is the guest municipality of the 30th edition of BTL – Lisbon Travel Market. BTL, the largest Tourism event held in Portugal, will take place at FIL, Parque das Nações, from February 28th to March 4th.

Pampilhosa da Serra is a village in the District of Coimbra, located in the central region of the country. In recent years, this region has witnessed a growing demand for national and international tourists and consequently a diversification of tourist attractions and infrastructures. In a year in which the region was adversely affected by fires (which devastated large forest areas and materials), Pampilhosa da Serra is committed to make this territory known, to revealing its beauty and natural charms, its history and the resilience of its people.

José Alberto Dias, Mayor of Pampilhosa da Serra, highlights “it was with great satisfaction that the Municipality of Pampilhosa da Serra accepted BTL’s invitation to be the guest Municipality of the 2018 edition. After a year of great setbacks, our presence at the Lisbon Travel Market is an excellent opportunity to promote the Municipality’s image and attractions at the biggest fair of the sector in our country.

Fátima Vila Maior, Director of trade fairs at FIL and BTL Coordinator, says that “the attribution of BTL Guest Municipality 2018 to Pampilhosa da Serra, commends the dedication, strength and excellent work developed by the Municipality in reconstructing the area and in promoting the destination based on its natural, historical and cultural offer. On the other hand, we also want its presence in this edition of BTL to stimulate companies and operators to invest more and better in a unique region of our country.”

PAMPILHOSA DA SERRA IS THE BTL 2018 GUEST MUNICIPALITYThe Man2018-02-07T16:07:57+00:00

LISBON TRAVEL MARKET PROMOTES THE FUTURE

BTL LAB: Startups subscriptions run until January 25

One of the novelties at the 30th edition of BTL – Lisbon Travel Market is the BTL LAB, an area dedicated to the promotion of companies that operate in the Innovation and Information Technology sector.

In recent years, one of the great generators of the dynamics we have seen in tourism has been the creation of platforms, products and technological services that have enabled the democratisation of access, the speed of decision and at the same time the actual monitoring of each business.

The BTL LAB, which has three specific areas – BTL Tech, BTL Startups and BTL Stages – aims to be a space for trends and new avenues for the coming decades.

The area, which is dedicated to Startups, promotes entrepreneurship and companies with less than 3 years of existence whose activity is oriented towards products and services that aim to enrich the Portuguese tourist offer. Registration for this area runs until January 25th and the selection of companies will be supported by Turismo de Portugal and the Lisbon City Council.

Fátima Vila Maior, director of fairs at FIL and BTL Coordinator, says: “BTL LAB is a great commitment, we are very proud of this novelty launched in the year that marks the 30th anniversary of BTL. The Future is now and BTL wants to be part of this Future. ”

LISBON TRAVEL MARKET PROMOTES THE FUTUREThe Man2018-02-01T17:10:34+00:00

BTL TECH

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY IN TOURISM

Celebrating its 30th edition, BTL is investing heavily in Innovation with BTLTech, one of BTL LAB’s highlights. It consists of an exhibition space for companies with technological innovations applied to the tourism sector, in a dedicated area where services, platforms and software can be presented in a business environment, generating more visibility and notoriety for companies already established in the market.

Tourism has worked as a laboratory for the experimentation and creation of new business models through innovative ideas and concepts. As the largest fair in the sector in Portugal, BTL presents this year an area entirely dedicated to Innovation, the BTL LAB.

Fátima Vila Maior, director of fairs at FIL and BTL Coordinator, points out: “Tourism has shown its creative capacity, not only in terms of business models but also by making the most of the resources made available by technology. It was with this in mind that we decided to bet on a creative environment, BTL Tech and thus give an opportunity to technological companies to show themselves to the entrepreneurs of the sector. ”

BTL TECHThe Man2018-02-01T17:10:42+00:00

FITUR 2018

BTL ATTENDS FITUR

BTL – The Lisbon Travel Market is taking part in yet another edition of FITUR – International Tourism Fair, which opened its doors today in Madrid. BTL 2018 is present at this edition of FITUR with its own stand (4A41) in Pavilion 4.

“The year in which BTL celebrates its 30th edition, its presence at FITUR is even more important. The major international fairs of the sector have been a good bet over the years and FITUR for its notoriety, geographical proximity, number of companies present and visitors is most certainly unavoidable. This fair is a unique space for BTL’s international promotion, in particular for the Hosted Buyers Programme, which reinforces its strategy this year with a specific programme for the Meetings Industry sector, certainly one of the highlights of this edition of BTL”, stresses Fátima Vila Maior, director of trade fairs at FIL and BTL Coordinator.

“The promotion of the Hosted Buyers Programme and the Meetings Industry area are our priority at FITUR, as it is an excellent platform to schedule meetings and for business development with the largest international buyers in the sector. In addition to this corporate and business side, our presence at FITUR also aims to promote the plurality of the offer and the different tourist options that Portugal has to offer”, she concludes.

FITUR – International Tourism Fair is one of the most important worldwide trade fairs in the sector and runs from today until Sunday, January 21st, at the Madrid Fair.

FITUR 2018The Man2018-02-01T17:10:50+00:00

MOROCCO IS BTL’S 2018 International Guest Destination

The 30th edition of BTL – Lisbon Tourism Exchange has chosen Morocco as its guest country. Those who visit this year’s edition of BTL will have the opportunity to get to know this destination better with its main tourist attractions and the diversity for which it is known: sun, beach, desert and exoticism, which are transverse in this country.

At BTL 2018, which runs from February 28th until March 4th, Morocco will be represented by several regions over an area of 108 m2.

Abdellatif Achachi, Moroccan Tourism Director in Portugal, highlights: “It is an honour to be the International Guest Destination of this edition of BTL, the main tourism fair in the country and an excellent opportunity to promote the destination at the biggest tourism promotion event in Portugal. Morocco is a country with increasing demand from the Portuguese. 2017 was the best year ever: more than 80,000 Portuguese tourists visited the country, which represents an increase of about 25% over the previous year. We believe that this demand will increase in 2018 thanks to the promotional campaign which we will carry out at BTL and also with the Portuguese Tour Operators, our partners who strive to promote the most sought after destinations such as Saidia, Marrakesh, Agadir, Tangier and Fez.

Fatima Vila Maior, director of trade fairs at FIL and FIL coordinator, points out: This year, Morocco will be in the spotlight as the international guest destination in what is the largest tourism fair in our country. Morocco is a destination that, due to its geographical and cultural characteristics, is favoured by national tourists. It is undoubtedly a very important participation that will add a touch of exoticism and magic to this edition of BTL.

MOROCCO IS BTL’S 2018 International Guest DestinationThe Man2018-02-01T15:42:00+00:00

BTL 2018 opens applications for Hosted Buyers Programme

The 30th edition of BTL 2018 will return in February of next year and international buyers can, as of November 15th, submit their application at https://btl.fil.pt/ be-a-hosted-buyer/.

Fátima Vila Maior, director of trade fairs at FIL and head of BTL, states: “The hosted buyers programme has been, over the last few years, a real opportunity for national companies to network with international buyers specialised in certain segments. After 29 editions, we want to continue to focus on this sector and its international promotion, and be able to take advantage of the giant wave of Tourism in Portugal.”

The applications received will be analysed by BTL, TAP and Turismo de Portugal and only those that are accepted will be invited to join the hosted buyers programme. Travel agents, tour operators, directors of DMC’s and other tourism professionals can sign up on the website.

The objective of the programme is to support the arrival of international buyers by providing participation in meetings and activities in the national market. She adds: “Of the various segments to be promoted among buyers in this edition, MICE, Ecotourism, golf, nautical tourism and cruises, health and well-being and Eno-Turismo will be highligted.”

The hosted buyers programme counts on its usual strategic partners: TAP, Turismo de Portugal, APAVT, Barraqueiro and various hotels in Lisbon. BTL 2018 will be held from February 28th to March 4th at FIL, Parque das Nações.

BTL 2018 opens applications for Hosted Buyers ProgrammeThe Man2018-02-01T17:11:01+00:00

80% OF AREA SOLD AT 30TH EDITION OF LISBON TRAVEL MARKET

The registration phase for the 30th edition of BTL – Lisbon Travel Market ended on November 10th and the fair now has 80% of its space booked. The allocation of the spaces will take place at the beginning of next month.

Fátima Vila Maior, director of trade fairs at FIL and head of BTL says: “Considering the success of the last edition and the excellent phase that Tourism is going through, we are very confident with the registration outcome. To date, we have seen an increase of almost 40% of area sold compared to the previous edition, taking into account the early start of the fair and the growing interest of companies in securing space which will be allocated in December.”

BTL 2018 will be attended by exhibitors from different segments, namely associations, municipalities, travel agents, tour operators, hotels, catering and tourism companies. She added: “We have seen a significant increase in various sectors, namely Accommodation, which confirms the growing interest of tourism professionals.”

“BTL is celebrating its 30th edition next year and will undoubtedly be a milestone in the history of the largest national travel fair. We want to continue to focus on this sector, which continues to grow at a good pace and reinforce its international commitment to the main players in the market. ”

BTL 2018 will run from February 28th to March 4th at FIL, Parque das Nações and is the largest Tourism event held in Portugal.

80% OF AREA SOLD AT 30TH EDITION OF LISBON TRAVEL MARKETThe Man2018-02-01T17:11:09+00:00

BTL 2018 SPACE BOOKINGS CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 10

The preparation of BTL 2018 is already in full swing and space bookings are in progress at a good pace. The second phase of entries in the Lisbon Travel Market, which will take place from February 28th to March 4th, will end on November 10th.

“We are very pleased with the affluence of companies and entities, which have, from year to year, ensured their presence in advance, benefiting from the 10% discount we provide in the first phase of registration. However, at this stage, there are still some spaces available, which can be booked until the end of next week “, says Fatima Vila Maior, director of trade fairs at the FIL and reshead of BTL.

“We are confident and expect to grow both in the contracted area and in the number of exhibitors in the next edition, which will be very special since we will be celebrating the 30th edition,” she added.

The BTL 2018 is the largest Tourism event held in Portugal, which is aimed at professionals and the general public and is held annually at FIL – Parque das Nações.

BTL 2018 SPACE BOOKINGS CLOSE ON NOVEMBER 10The Man2018-02-01T17:11:19+00:00