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February 9, 2024
From February 14 to 18, 2024, Bavaria’s largest travel and leisure trade fair will present offerings and inspiration for the best time of the year at the Munich Exhibition Center. Around 1,000 exhibitors from 50 countries will showcase innovations and trends from the areas of travel, caravanning & camping, cycling, water sports, and outdoor & fitness. This year, f.re.e will occupy eight halls, the equivalent of eight soccer pitches.
The German population’s desire to travel remains unbroken. According to the latest travel analysis by the FUR, the research organization for vacation and travel, Germans will take around 69 million trips in 2024 and spend around 78 billion euros on them. The most popular destinations include Spain, Italy, Turkey, Austria, Croatia, and Greece. In the undisputed top spot for Germans is going on vacation in their own country.
That is also why Upper Bavaria was chosen as the f.re.e partner region for 2024, as Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, CEO of Messe München, explains: “In recent years, awareness of sustainability in society has grown significantly. Families in particular now increasingly prefer to vacation in Germany. As this year’s f.re.e partner region, Upper Bavaria offers a host of vacation and activity options with excellent public transport connections.”
At its stand (Hall A5, 401/402) and in the supporting program on the various stages, the f.re.e partner region of Upper Bavaria will be showing which special places with a unique character can be found between Ingolstadt and the Alps. Over 150 secret locations, “GeHEIMATorte”, provide tips and inspiration for the next excursion, ranging from culture and nature to activities and sport.
Compared to the previous year, the number of exhibitors at f.re.e has increased by over ten percent, and the total exhibition space by almost 20 percent. The Travel and Caravanning & Camping areas in particular are making a big contribution to this growth, with both of them each now occupying three of the eight halls in total. Over 600 companies will be represented in the travel area (Halls A3 to A5), while more than 180 exhibitors will present 70 brands in the caravanning & camping halls (B3 to B5).
In addition to travel offers and equipment for leisure activities, f.re.e will also offer visitors numerous opportunities to actively organize their visit to the trade fair. There will be additions this year to the already established spaces such as pools for test diving, SUP and canoeing, climbing tower, and bicycle and mountain parkour tracks. There will be a special bike parkour track for children under 12, and the tiny tots can do their laps on a track for walking bikes. Another new addition will be the join-on fitness space in Hall A6, with tips on more exercise in everyday life, and the opportunity to try out exercises right there and then.
In addition, visitors will enjoy a threefold benefit with their ticket. In addition to admission to f.re.e, the price also includes the events Münchner Auto Tage (Wednesday to Sunday) and IMOT—International Motorcycle Exhibition—(Friday to Sunday).
Michaela Kaniber, Bavarian Minister of State for Food, Agriculture and Forestry, will attend the official opening. Together with representatives of Messe München, the Upper Bavaria Tourism Association, and members of the Munich City Council, she will take over the opening ceremony on Wednesday, February 14, from 09:30 a.m.
