- With interviews to the Secretary General of the FEMP, Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés, ENAIRE, OPC Spain, Aviación Digital and Iberia.
- A program produced by Envera for Radio Viajera, a travel podcast referent.
Madrid | January 22, 2025
This Wednesday the King and Queen of Spain inaugurated the 45th edition of the most important International Tourism Fair, Fitur 2025, which opened its doors and has counted, for the fourth consecutive year, with the coverage of the Tour Dis-Friendly program , produced by Envera for Radio Viajera, the world's largest platform of podcasts dedicated to travel, and which has been conducted live from the stand of Iberia, the company of which Envera was born 48 years ago.
After the visit of Felipe VI and Letizia to see Iberia's proposals at Fitur, focused on integral accessibility and the new XLR aircraft -the first of its generation in the world-, the special radio program began, opened by the Secretary General of the Spanish Federation of Municipalities and Provinces, Luis Martínez - Sicluna, who pointed out that "accessibility is fundamental to sustainability. Social sustainability is becoming increasingly important to achieve sustainable and quality tourism" with the aim of promoting competitive tourism in Spain.
In addition, for the FEMP representative, the promotion of events with social impact is very important for the promotion of municipalities as a tourist attraction pole, one of the key aspects being worked on by the Spain Convention Bureau.
Accessibility, an "essential factor" of congress tourism, must be accessible in two aspects, explained Martínez-Sicluna: from the point of view of travelers and as a job opportunity for people with disabilities.
Both the Envera team and the Secretary General had a few words of remembrance and support for Valencia, a destination where tourism can help in the reconstruction of many areas affected by the DANA.
From Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés, María de Andrés, head of the Sustainability Department, wanted to stress that "sustainability without social impact is impossible" and recalled that, according to the INE, 20% of Spanish households have a person with a disability.
The agency is putting "a lot of focus on the social side of sustainability" and is working with entities such as Envera and others involved such as Amadeus to take into account the needs of all its customers because "a journey starts from the moment a person leaves the door of their house".
Mallorca has positioned itself at Fitur 2025 as a destination open to all tourists by collaborating with Fitur4All, the accessibility section of the Fair. For de Andrés, Mallorca is a must-visit place that has been promoting inclusive tourism for some time.
A vision of the island that is also shared by Impulsa Igualdad, promoters together with the Consell mallorquín of Fitur4All. Luz Marina Gil, technician of Accessible Tourism, Universal Accessibility and Inclusive Culture of the Platform, refers to the island of calm as "a model of accessible tourism that facilitates that all visitors can enjoy its tourist proposal".
Impulsa Igualdad has also presented different activities that will be carried out throughout Fitur 2025.
For her part, the president of OPC Spain, Matilde Almandoz, said that "sustainability and inclusion go hand in hand in the MICE sector" and -she added- that "Spain is ready for it" because society increasingly demands that events have a social component.
Almandoz also explained that professionals with disabilities can be involved in many areas of work at events, from assisting attendees, to design, production, etc.
In fact, hostesses with intellectual disabilities from Envera, who will be at the Iberia stand throughout Fitur to welcome the public, also wanted to point out in the program the "great opportunity" that it means for people with disabilities to be able to work in spaces such as the company's stand and at other events.
The aeronautical DNA was present throughout the program, not only because it was carried out by Iberia, but also because of the participation of ENARIE, Aviación Digital and Iberia.
Sustainability is also a strategic pillar for ENAIRE, as explained by its head of Communications, Miguel Ángel García. Spain's air navigation manager, which reports to the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, has managed to drastically reduce CO2 emissions, achieving a "cleaner sky".
The state-owned company also has a very broad accessibility and aid program to promote the employment of people with disabilities within ENAIRE's social responsibility strategy.
On the other hand, Eduardo Gavilán, director of the specialized media Aviación Digital, spoke about the importance of taking into account the different capabilities of each person, since there can be no tourism without accessibility.
Tour Dis-Friendly was closed by Ainhoa Serrano, Iberia's Social Impact Manager, who explained how the company is promoting integral accessibility to improve the passenger experience. A strategy that emphasizes that "without universal accessibility there can be no sustainability".
With this approach, Iberia has taken up the challenge of achieving total accessibility in air travel. Iberia is the first company to obtain the Dis-Friendly Seal, which distinguishes it as a company that is friendly to customers with disabilities.
This Friday at 10:30 a.m., Iberia will present its Accessibility Plan at Fitur, a milestone in the history of aviation.
You can now listen to the Tour Dis-Friendly podcast by Envera on Radio Viajera from the Iberia stand at Fitur.
