FITUR 2003
     For the third consecutive year, organised naturism was present at the Tourism Fair, FITUR, 2003, thanks to the help of ADN.
     FITUR is likely the most important tourism fair in the world.
     1,015 exhibitors from 170 countries were present this year. 97,570 professionals and 112,903 visitors, as well as 113 tourism schools, (7,312 students and teachers), also attended. With regards to the press, 7,403 Spanish and 370 foreign journalists were there, too. FITUR is the source of these data (www.fitur.ifema.es), which show a significant increase if we compare them with the figures for the previous year.
     ADN was at Stand 9E516B, a 16 metre square stand next to that of the police, (Guardia Civil). As usual the stand was sponsored by some supporting naturist centres. As FITUR views them as co-exhibitors they appear in its publications: El Portús, Costa Natura, El Templo del Sol, Vera Natura and Las Piteras.
     Several of these centres have increasingly acknowledged our participation by the visit of their various owners or their management. The manager of El Portús and its owner, the manager of Costa Natura and four owners on the board, almost all the new management team of Vera Natura, etc.
     Of course, once again we had the visit of the Chairman of the British Federation (CCBN) and his wife, Mick and Roz Ayers. This year we invited them due to their faithfulness and in gratitude for their help, as he is our representative at the FNI.
     We were happily surprised to have Petra Scheller with us. She actually writes for the publication of the Canadian Federation, Going Natural. Thus, more and more articles about ADN and naturism in Spain are published, as the one mentioned above, or in British Naturism, which sometimes seems to be an extension of our own ;-), notwithstanding other international journals to which we submit occasionally submit reports about our most relevant events , (i.e., Nude & Natural).
     At the Fair,we took advantage of Mick’s presence to hold the FEN assembly, ( as Manel Mondejar was also there, at the Fair), so as to learn from his first hand experience at the last Inter-federal of Western Europe; since it will be our turn to organise it at El Templo del Sol, in a few months’ time.
     On Saturday, we had the pleasure of making our guests try our swimming pool at Casa de Campo. That was after having taken them to Radio 3, national radio, and participated in a debate with Carlos Gil, as the FEN Secretary.
     The day began with frost on the windshields and snow, but at about one in the afternoon we were basking in the bright sun among the remains of snow outside Casa de Campo.

    After assessing our presence at the Fair, we can point out some gains:
     1.- Consolidation of the presence of naturism at FITUR (the organising board has sent us a token gift as a way of thanking us for our faithfulness). Obtaining immediate information about naturism by asking the FITUR hostesses is becoming easier by the year. This way, naturism get a higher consideration from the tourist sector.
     2.- Increase and consolidation of the synergy arising among the Spanish naturist centres and organised naturism (FEN/ADN), through mutual trust. We find that it is becoming easier to deal with the centres both at the financial level, by inserting advertisements, and at the level of demanding compliance with the standards of naturist conditions by the centres.
     3.- Normalisation. The presence of naturism in the mass media is becoming more regular which, in turn, has led to more rigorous reporting about this kind of tourism, even though they might still find it peculiar.
     4.-Increase in the prestige of Spanish naturism internationally, not only because of reports in the international press but also because of the support and recognition on behalf of the FNI, with a permanent Spanish representative on the Central Committee.
     5.-The spread among professionals and the general public who pop into our Stand means that new members may sign and business possibilities may arise as more interested tourist professionals visit us.

Last but not least, we would like to thank all those volunteers who worked at our stand, from the beginning, during the setting up, staying there and finally taking it down: a professional job, well done. Thank you.

For further information: articles by Mick Ayers, Petra Scheller and Ismael Rodrigo on the English version of the FEN Web page: www.naturismo.org/fitur03e.html