Fairway returns to the Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de Galicia on November 1 to 3 for a fifth event full of new features. They were presented this morning in a press conference that was held in Santiago’s Hostal dos Reis Católicos. It featured the presence of the director of Galicia Tourism, Xosé Manuel Merelles; A Coruña Provincial Council’s Camino de Santiago representative, Antonio Leira; Santiago City Council’s councillor for Tourism, Miriam Louzao, and the three co-directors of the Forum of the Camino de Santiago, Ana García (Trevisani), Manuel Oreiro (Viajes Viloria) and Tono Mugico (Mr Turismo Marketing en Acción).
Xosé Merelles highlighted Fairway’s role as “a must event during the Galician autumn for more and more professionals linked to the amino de Santiago.” He thanked the organisers for their initiative and underlined the opportunity of holding this year’s event under the premise of the circular economy and sustainability. In this regard, he remembered that this coincides directly with the tourist model in which the Xunta de Galicia is working, with actions that enable us “to manage tourist growth in a responsible, intelligent way in order to maintain the pilgrimage’s fine experience.”
For his part, Antonio Leira indicated that Fairway “is an exceptional showcase for promoting the Caminos and the municipal districts that they pass through.” In this regard, he praised the work carried out to organise an event that covers, in a single venue, all the aspects related to the Camino routes, from specialised companies to interesting debates.
Finally, the Compostela councillor highlighted Fairway’s contribution “to the promotion of MICE in the city,” which is becoming more and more popular. Moreover, this event is “an opportunity to promote the potential of the sector linked to the different Caminos.”
Job Market and Open Day
In relation to the programme itself, Ana García declared that “one of the main new features this year will be the Job Market, in collaboration with the Ronsel Foundation, which will take place on November 1, coinciding with the Fairway’s Open Day.” This addition to the programme arose due to the need expressed by several companies. “We wanted to go a step further in this event in the sector and help companies to find new professional profiles for their job vacancies. At the moment, we have received more than dozen companies that have to fill around twenty positions, such as receptionist, tourist guide, clerk, booking agents, or housekeepers. To participate, you just have to register by means of the forms available on the website,” she explained.
The Palacio de Congresos y Exposiciones de Santiago will feature a space where companies can set up their own stand to interview the candidates. There will also be practical workshops (on how to handle a job interview) and debating forums (with practical examples of entrepreneurs along the Camino or the advantages of the Xunta de Galicia’s “Plan Retorna”) to round off the public’s experience during this day.
In relation to the Open Day programme, the co-director of Fairway explained that, after the success of last year’s event, there will be another concert by Xabier Díaz, at 6 pm on November 1. This day open to the public will feature activities for all ages, including a new session called Contos e vermú (Stories and Vermouth) featuring Quico Cadaval and Sole Felloza. Consolidated activities, such as escape rooms and mindfulness workshops, will continue this year. All Fairway activities are free, as long as your register beforehand on the website.
More than 3,000 business meetings programmed
Another interesting feature of the 5th Forum of the Camino de Santiago is the Workshop section. In this regard, Manuel Oreiro indicated that “at Fairway, we facilitate more than 3,000 business meetings between companies and 43 national and international tour operators. Unlike last year’s event, the great majority of the meetings will be in person.”
Supplementing this activity will be the organisation of fam trips and press trips, in which around thirty tour operators and media representatives will be able to experience for themselves the attractions of up to three Caminos: The Portuguese Way, that of Muxía-Fisterra, and the Primitive Way (beginning in Asturias). “These initiatives enable us to take a step further in promoting Fairway and the different Camino routes,” concluded Oreiro.
Training workshops, round tables, and debating forums
Fairway always leaves a space for free training aimed at professionals and students in the tourism sector linked to the Camino. “This year’s theme is the Circular Economy and, to that end, we will feature in the Academy and Congress sections (on November 2 and 3) different round tables presenting examples of professional projects and entrepreneurs that respect this principle,” indicated Tono Mugico.
The event’s co-director also highlighted that there will also be “training workshops to explain the use of digital tools to facilitate the promotion and organisation of the sector’s companies. So there will be a session on organic positioning in search engines, Chat GPT, managing bookings using WhatsApp Marketing, or the use of TikTok to generate bookings for tourist accommodations. All these activities will be chaired by experts in digital marketing and will be admission free, after registering on the website www.fairwaysantiago.com.”
Fairway’s three co-directors expressed appreciation for the institutional support that the event has enjoyed, featuring “the inestimable collaboration of the Xunta de Galicia, A Coruña Provincial Council, and Santiago City Council”, they concluded.