Improving Andalucía’s positioning as an ornithological destination, as well as attracting travelers seeking different experiences in contact with nature, are the main objectives of the Ministry of Tourism and Andalucía Exterior with their participation in two specialized fairs held in Navarra and Extremadura from February 21 to 23: Navartur and FIO.
Thus, Andalucía Tourism will be present in Pamplona at the 19th edition of Navartur, one of the most important events in the travel industry in northern Spain, where nearly 50,000 visitors and around 200 exhibitors gather.
This fair hosts national and international destinations presenting their proposals for active tourism, gastronomy, culture, or nature, and Andalucía will have its own 70-square-meter space accompanied by provincial Tourism boards, destinations, and sector companies. The objective of the Ministry of Tourism at this event is to engage with intermediaries and offer the final customer the nature and culture tourism offer, promoting initiatives that respect the environment and cultural heritage of the region, along with the rest of the offer.
The Navarra market is of high interest to the Andalusian destination due to its purchasing power and interest in differentiated products. Last year, 53,934 travelers from this source stayed in Andalusian hotel establishments, where they made 163,816 overnight stays, 2.7% more than in 2024, with an average stay of three days.
Andalucía, ornithological destination of Southern Europe
On the other hand, at the International Ornithological Tourism Fair (FIO), held in the Monfragüe National Park, in the province of Cáceres, the Ministry of Tourism and Andalucía Exterior participates in this 20th edition with a 27-square-meter stand where they will share space with provincial promotion entities and specialized companies in this segment. In its previous edition, the fair received 18,500 visitors.
The goal is to enhance Andalucía’s positioning as an international reference destination among professionals and the general public, and includes the participation of community entities in the FIO 2025 Contracting Exchange to be held on February 21.
Andalucía, with its rich biodiversity and varied landscapes, has positioned itself as one of the most attractive destinations for ornithological tourism in Europe. With over 400 registered bird species, the region offers nature lovers a unique experience to observe birds in their natural habitat.
Birdwatching, known in the Anglo-Saxon world as ‘birdwatching’ or ‘birding’, is an activity with millions of practitioners worldwide, with its largest communities in Central Europe, the British Isles, and North America, thousands of whom visit Andalucía each year to see birds.
Additionally, ornithological tourism has a strong impact on the development of rural areas, contributing to seasonality. Travelers in this segment – predominantly foreign – typically stay for a week, have high purchasing power, and show high loyalty.
Moreover, last year a total of 320,090 travelers from Extremadura stayed in Andalusian hotel establishments, accounting for 817,783 overnight stays and an average stay of 2.6 days.