The Caribbean region is expected to steal back the thunder during the upcoming edition of Madrid’s International Tourism Fair (FITUR) to be held from January 30 to February 3 next year at its traditional IFEMA fairgrounds in the Spanish capital. Unlike latest editions, this time around the Caribbean will attend FITUR armed with a much broader offer of products, services and destinations in an effort to show its increasing interest in Europe, especially in Spain.

The Caribbean’s stepped-up presence in FITUR will take place at a time when tourist arrivals from Europe to that balmy region are on the rise. According to stats provided by the UNWTO, the Caribbean reeled in over 19 million sunbathers in 2006, up 3.3 from the year before. The interest in the Central American region is rendered in a considerable uptick in tourism revenues that last year peaked $21.5 billion, up a solid 5.9 percent from 2005.

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico is grabbing the runner-up spot among all Caribbean nations in terms of international tourist arrivals with as many as 3.7 million visitors in 2006, up 1 percent from the year before. The island netted roughly $3.4 billion worth of revenues, up 4 percent from 2005. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company –it’s been attending FITUR since 1981- has mapped out a strategic plan in a bid to foster its hotel development and further branch out its tourist offerings, among other major goals. At the same time, the island pursues higher figures of incoming sunbathers from new emerging markets in Europe and Asia. Europeans, for their part, have begun to enjoy what Puerto Rico’s tourism has to offer.

Aruba The last great goal of hotel chains, with a view to bring in the successful all-inclusive concept that’s now all the rage in neighboring nations like Mexico and the Dominican Republic. In 2006, the Occidental Grand Aruba, following a total investment of $24 million, opened its doors. This year, Spanish company RIU bought the Aruba Grand and is planning to fork over $120 million to refurbish its 451 guestrooms. At the same time, Sol Melia will buy the Bushiri Beach Resort and plans to enhance it to 450 rooms.

Jamaica Most Spanish investments are clustered in the hotel sector, with a grand total of 21,000 guestrooms, a move that points to a 45 percent growth between 2003 and 2008. This investment will create at least 10,000 new full-time jobs and as many as 40,000 part-time jobs in the process.

According to the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, total investments in the hotel industry on that island nation is expected to peak $1.2 billion in that span of time.

In addition to Spain’s huge entrepreneurial groups, other Spanish companies are washing ashore, bringing in high-tech equipment and hotel supplies, let alone building materials.

Today, a number of hotel companies have several projects in the offing for Jamaica with an estimated deadline for 2008. At the end of the day, Spanish companies will be running some 10,670 beds scattered among RIU, Iberostar, Bahia Principe, Fiesta Hotels, Excellence Secrets Resorts and Fuerte Hoteles.

Cuba Spain is the country of the world with the largest number of investment projects in Cuba, that according to the Spanish Embassy’s Economic and Commercial Office in Havana, and to the island nation’s Ministry of Foreign Investment. Nine out of every dozen foreign companies investing on the island are from Spain. In 2006, total investment from those hotel companies reached €3 million, according to Spain’s Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade. The Caribbean country raked in a record high $981 million worth of revenues through partnered businesses with foreign companies, up a whopping 22 percent from the year before.

The Most Hands-On Spanish Companies Sol Melia 26 hotels RIU 2 properties Iberostar 2 properties Iberia 2 properties

México During the first quarter of 2007, investments made by Spanish companies in Mexico’s travel industry tabbed €292 million. According to FONATUR, that figure goes one better to the entire amount shelled out by Spain during 2006 as a whole –an estimated €235 million. Thus, Spain is beefing up its stance as the second-largest investor in the Mexican tourism sector, only trailing behind the U.S.

Back in 2001, Spanish companies were running some 15,000 beds. Today, that number has soared to 35,000 beds in over a hundred hotels. For the next couple of years, those figures will shoot up with the addition of 12,500 beds in 27 new properties.

Spanish investment has homed in on the upscale sector, with nearly three quarters of all hotels labeled as five-star lodgings, and the remaining 25 percent slotted in the four-star category. Some of the major hotel chains in the Mexican Caribbean are Melia, OHL, NH, Hotels RIU, Globalia, Viajes Marsans, Barceló and Martinon Grumasa.

The Dominican Republic Spain is the second-largest overall investor in the Dominican Republic –second best to the U.S.- and the number-one in the local travel industry, with the hotel sector bearing the brunt of that economic activity.

Sources from Barceló say the company will pony up €10 million in the all-out refurbishment of the Punta Cana property. For its part, Transhotel, a global provider of tourist services, added 41 Dominican hotels to its international portfolio in the month of August. Total hotel investment in that country climbed €41 million in 2006, according to stats provided by the Spanish Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Trade.

Spanish investment in airlines is similarly important, as in the case of Air Dominicana, a carrier slated to take off in April 2008 with a quarter of shares owned by Spain’s Globalia Group. Spanish airlines Iberia and Air Europa dispatch weekly nonstop flights to the Dominican Republic, as well as Air Comet and Iberworld.

Hotels Number of properties Occidental Hotels 11 RIU Hotels 9 Barceló 10 Bahia-Principe 9 Sol Melia 5 Iberostar Hotels 5 Hoteles Catalonia 3 Fiesta Hotel Group 2

For further information: Iciar Martinez de Lecea FITUR Press & Communications Division Phone: 00 34 91 722 51 77 / iciar.martinez@ifema.es