Spain, like much of Europe, is in the midst of a coronavirus crisis due to the new Omicron variant, but the atmosphere at FITUR in Madrid, one of the global tourism industry's biggest gatherings, is business as usual.

Nearly 90,000 visitors, including industry professionals and members of the public, are expected to visit  FITUR over the next four days – double last last year's numbers.

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Co-existence 

Tourism is hugely significant globally. It's estimated that one in ten people around the world is employed in the sector.

The delegates and industry professionals here are already planning for a post-pandemic surge in trade.

Joaquin Fernandez, a FITUR Expo delegate for the Asia-Pacific region, told CGTN Europe the industry was already planning for a post-pandemic world.

"They are both looking ahead to the summer of 2022 and also for the season of 2023. Everybody is getting used to the pandemic. Everybody is trying to look ahead and improve their business."

The travel sector was one of the industries worst hit by the financial fallout of the pandemic.

There was a small recovery in 2021 but it was hampered by the outbreak of new variants including Omicron. Industry insiders say in 2022 the recovery will gather pace.

The message coming out of FITUR 2022 is that tourism can coexist safely with the coronavirus – something vital for the tourism-reliant Spanish economy.

Tourism accounted for 10.5 percent of Spain's GDP in 2021, much of it generated by domestic travel.

Confidence

Experts believe travel in and around Europe will also increase in 2022.

The industry is still struggling with intercontinental travel, but countries such as China are making a concerted effort at this expo, planning for the summer and beyond in a bid to encourage more people to once again consider Asia as a destination.

Liu Gang, the assistant director of the China Tourism Office in Spain, told CGTN he was confident the industry could bounce back.

"The tourism industry as a whole in China is pretty optimistic that we will recover after COVID. According to information that we have from Chinese Aviation Authorities, our country will open again fully by next year for international flights. I think that is a really good sign for our tourism industry."

Industry experts have earmarked 2023 as a complete return to pre-pandemic levels for international tourism.

If this expo is any indicator, there certainly seems to be the desire and belief that it will happen.

Cover photo: A tourist from Russia takes a selfie at Mai Khao Beach as a plane takes off from Phuket International Airport in Phuket, Thailand, January 17, 2022. Reuters/Jorge Silva