Madrid, the capital of Spain, was once again the focal point of global tourism as host of the Annual International Tourism Fair (FITUR) organized by IFEMA MADRID from January 21-25, 2026. In its 46th edition, FITUR cemented its position as the region's leading forum, highlighting both its international reach and its commitment to knowledge as a driver of industry change.
The figures unveiled by the organizers underline FITUR's leadership: nine halls, more than 10,000 companies from 161 countries, 111 of them counting on official representation (up 10 percent on the 2025 edition) and 967 main exhibitors. Overall, FITUR has seen an 11 percent increase in international participation.
FITUR also welcomed 18 new countries, primarily from Africa and Asia-Pacific, where participation increased by 34 percent and 22 percent respectively. Major newcomers include: Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Zanzibar, as well as territories in Germany and the United Kingdom.
FITUR 2026 figures reflect strong global momentum in the tourism industry. According to UN Tourism, between January and September 2025, the region welcomed more than 1.1 billion international travelers, surpassing the pre-pandemic record set in 2019.
At the same time, FITUR 2026 strengthened its role as a leading platform for industry debate with a number of key additions. Most relevant is the new Knowledge Hub, located in Hall 12 and open throughout the fair. Envisioned as a strategic hub for tourism insights, it included eight auditoriums, ten conference programmes, over 200 sessions and over 250 high-level speakers.
In addition to the Knowledge Hub, other highlights include: the FITUR Experience, focused on experiential tourism as one of the sector's most dynamic drivers of change, and the first International Summit on Communication and Tourism, which analyzed the challenges facing tourism communication with experts and representatives from both the public and private sectors. Additionally, the Travel Technology sector doubled in size and brought together over 190 leading innovation companies.
Meanwhile, the fair recorded very strong participation this year, which points to a significant turnout, according to organisers, with a forecast of more than 150,000 professionals and around 100,000 public visitors over the weekend. FITUR remains a major economic engine for Madrid, generating €487 million in its last edition.
According to SECTUR, Mexico is the partner country of FITUR 2026, whose major presence at the fair comes at a time when its tourism sector is expected to grow by 13.9 percent between January and September 2025, and aims to secure its position as the fifth most visited destination in the world.
However, FITUR 2026 connects the tourism industry with other sectors by addressing key challenges in its 11 specialized sections.
It also introduced a fast-track entrance in the south-east access to facilitate professional entry and encourage the use of public transport, supported by increased services on Metro Line 8.
Over the weekend, FITUR opened its doors to travelers with a full program of activities, workshops and experiences, cementing its position as the region's premier public festival.
Earlier, the opening ceremony included high-profile dignitaries: the King and Queen of Spain, who were welcomed by José Vicente de los Mozos, Chairman of the Executive Committee of IFEMA Madrid; Isabel Díaz Ayuso, President, Community of Madrid; Jordi Heru, Minister of Industry, Trade and Tourism of Spain; and José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid, accompanied by a wide delegation of national and regional officials, ministers, government representatives and tourism industry leaders from around the world.
