Before me and other attendees of a Guatemalan woman wove a traditional way of their traditional costumes, in the Morocco pavilion offered me mint tea in another booth a «sculptor of fruits» taught me how beautiful figures made with melons, pineapples and watermelons in the middle of the floor a colorful group of Peruvians left me spellbound with their folk dances and abroad, I travel the world gastronomically speaking with some of the 80 exotic tapas served.

Photography by costadelsol.medplaya.com

These and many other sensations I have been enjoying in the Palacio de Congresos in Torremolinos, which was held from 2 to 4 June, the sixth edition of the Tourism Fair of Latin America and Europe, better known as Euroal.

With 32 participating countries and 220 exhibitors from institutions and tourism companies, it has definitively Euroal as the main tourism fair in Costa del Sol and Andalusia to the professionals. It is undoubtedly the best showcase in the region to promote new business relationships and promote new products, offers and events for tourist. For its part, the public Andalusian allows us without going to far as Fitur fairs in Madrid and the ITB in Berlin, the chance to taste flavors unimaginable, to contemplate ancestral dances and, of course, meet our holiday destinations for, if only in imagination.

Euroal harvested this year 2011 has a target growth in the number of visits by 23% since it began in 2006. Of the 18 participating countries were from Latin America, 8 from Europe, 4 from Africa and 1 in the Middle East. Precisely this geographical area was the last stand in Iraq, one of the most notable presences in this issue.

This country has participated for the first time in a tourism fair in Spain in order to transfer a message of normalization and security in tourist destinations. Although fighting is still mired in social, political and religious, we must not neglect the attractions of a country that was the cradle of the Mesopotamian civilizations, so it would be commendable for their travel agents to gain the trust of international tourists and become the again a reference to the scenic routes, as it was in the 70 and 80.

In this edition of the tourism fair in Torremolinos, Peru has been the «Country Star» and Curaçao «Guest.» As for the awards, Venezuela has won the award for best video professional tour in the special category of long duration.

I fully agree on this recognition, since all promo videos I’ve compiled and then displayed Euroal quietly at home in Venezuela believe that was the best present the diversity and attractiveness of a country.

Another prominent Euroal note 2011 has been holding a sample of international gastronomy outside the Palacio de Congresos de Torremolinos. With the provocative claim of «Around the World in 80 caps», eight businesses and eateries have offered a wide range of traditional tapas and exotic culinary diverse origin.

Next year the fair date change (from 16 to 19 May) and denomination. From 2012 will be called the International Tourism Fair. Now I have less to live new sensations tourism.

Tourism is also art and culture!