Guatemala, January 17, 2023 – President Alejandro Giammattei is on a working visit to Madrid, where he is attending the inauguration of the International Tourism Fair -Fitur-, which this year’s edition has Guatemala as a partner country. President Giammattei met with the head of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, as well as with business people interested in investing in Guatemala.
President Giammattei’s agenda included a meeting with the Mayor of Madrid City Council, José Luis Martínez Almeida.
In addition to talking with Mayor Martínez Almeida about issues of mutual interest for Guatemala and Madrid, he signed the City’s Golden Book. Likewise, President Giammattei’s agenda included a tour of the facilities of the Estadio Cívitas Metropolitano by invitation of the president of the local soccer club, Enrique Cerezo.
President Giammattei and the Director General of the Guatemalan Tourism Institute -INGUAT-, Anayansy Rodríguez, met with the CEO of Grupo Iberia, Javier Sánchez-Prieto, to discuss investments and the possible expansion of the Spanish airline operations in Guatemala.
At the end of the first day of activities in Madrid, President Giammattei attended a meeting with the Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization -UNWTO-, Zurab Pololikashvili, and the Minister of Industry, Trade, and Tourism of Spain, Reyes Maroto, at the 43rd edition of the international tourism industry fair.
On Wednesday, January 18, the president participated in the inauguration of Fitur 2023, presided over by King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, who visited the Pavilion of Guatemala, a Partner Country of the fair.
The King and Queen of Spain toured the Guatemalan exhibition in the company of President Giammattei, who then witnessed the signing of a cooperation agreement. The UNWTO Secretary-General and Tourism Ministers of Latin America attended the ceremony.
The Prime Minister of Spain gave the opening speech and a press conference on Guatemala’s participation as a Partner Country. Also, he also met with the Government of Spain authorities in the same venue.
After carrying out other activities related to the international fair, he attended, together with the director of INGUAT and members of his entourage, a dinner with the secretary general and directors of the UNWTO, an institution based in Madrid.
On Thursday, January 19, President Giammattei attended meetings with executives of the Puntacana Business Consortium to discuss the facilities offered by the Guatemalan government to foreign investment.
In addition, he will attend a meeting with the Spanish Confederation of Business Organizations’ board of directors, lead the “Guatemala Investment Forum in Europe: Attracting Investment and Trade,” and participate in the “Feria Chapina,” where he will talk with tour operators.
In an act at Casa de América in Madrid, President Giammattei and the official delegation, will participate in a reception offered by the Secretary-General of the UNWTO and the head of the Development Bank of Latin America -CAF-, Sergio Díaz-Granados, with the participation of the ministers of Latin American and Caribbean countries in the 43rd celebration of Fitur.
On January 20, he will attend a meeting with the president of the Spanish government at the Moncloa Palace, in which they will review the bilateral agenda and discuss matters of interest to Guatemala and Spain.
He will also participate in a cultural activity called Feria Chapina. Afterwar, he will supervise the operation of printing and issuing passports at the Guatemalan Embassy in Spain.
President Giammattei will be accompanied on his working visit to Madrid by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mario Búcaro; the Minister of Economy, Janio Rosales; the Private Secretary of the Presidency, Geovanna Estrada; the head of the Social Communication Secretariat of the Presidency -SCSP-, Kevin López Oliva and the general director of INGUAT, Anayansy Rodríguez, among other officials.
