Tourism showcase expects to receive 70 thousand participants in Lisbon
The countdown has begun. Within a week, and for five days, FIL will be home to the largest tourism fair in the country. The Lisbon Tourism Board (BTL), launched by the AIP foundation, returns to Parque das Nações between March 16 and 20, after a two-year hiatus imposed by the pandemic. The wait whetted the appetite of the participants and the expectation is that this will be a historic edition.
Over four fully packed pavilions, 1400 exhibitors gather on a business stage that brings together national and foreign companies. They will be featuring 60 international destinations, regional tourism entities, city councils as well as from the entire sphere of tourism such as travel agencies, tour operators or accommodation.
“BTL2022 is full of the usual fields. It will be better part of exhibitor companies. In total, there are 40 thousand square meters completely in the tourism area. the presence of 70 thousand visitors.
The event is divided into two distinct moments: during the week, between Wednesday and Friday, it is entirely dedicated to professional doors and, on the weekend, it is open to the public.
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“BTL is the tourism sector’s marketplace and the objective is to mirror market trends. It is the barometer of the economy and the development of the various sectors”, says the fair’s manager. During these days, FIL is the stage for business among the players in the sector, but not only. The program includes an extensive calendar of conferences in which trends in national and international tourism will be discussed.
Highlights will be wine tourism and nature tourism, two of the bets that are on the ground in Portugal.
“We will present the best in this segment in terms of tourism. We will also have a set of activities such as wine tastings, conferences and the presentation of new projects”, says Dália Palma
.
selling Portugal
On weekends, it’s the public’s turn to learn about the news of nearby destinations and to start planning trips. “During BTL it is known for promotions and days that they usually do so that the Portuguese can mark their vacations. points out the spokeswoman for the event.
If, in previous editions, the emphasis was given to international destinations, in the 2022 edition Portugal also steps on the stage. “During these two years we ended up inside Portugal and the national destiny itself was structured in another way, allowing us to create new products and develop other segments.
Innovation brings together 50 startups
More than 50 startups will share a future exclusively dedicated to sustainability, work and the digitization of the sector. The What’s Next – Innovating Tourism initiative is organized by NEST – Centro de Inovação do Turismo, and will take place at BTL between 16 and 18 March.
100 personalities will pass through this stage to debate the future of tourism. Along with the agenda at FIL, in Lisbon, What’s Next will also feature a set of four BTL sessions, a local vision of leaders from other areas of society and an ongoing economy for the tourism sector.
Employability Scholarship
Another of BTL’s highlights is the Employability Scholarship, which runs on the 18th and 19th of March. The initiative brings together companies and a small fair where recruitment is the protagonist.
“The main objective is to bring together students and professionals who want one”, says Alexandre Marto, president of the Tourism Forum, promoter of the meeting.
For this edition, 76 companies have already been confirmed that will present the available job offers. On the other hand, there are 3200 candidates who will arrive with their resume in hand.
Hotels, restaurants, tourist entertainment and travel agencies are the biggest employers. On the national map, Lisbon, Porto and Algarve are the cities with the highest demand for labour.
The number of workers in tourism and the difficulty in hiring is already having an impact on the way employers will present themselves and the benefits they have to offer.
“As they are doing everything to get it, the attractive talents of all jobs range from flexible working terms and no compensation to the universe of productivity contracts and contract contracts, which even the current job is seen as a major compromise. “, assures Alexandre Marto.
After Lisbon, the Employability Exchange heads to Porto, on April 6, at Palácio da Bolsa.