FITUR 2026 reinforces its leadership as a global tourism platform with more than 160 countries and 10,000 companies

Madrid is once again at the epicenter of world tourism with the celebration of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR), organized by IFEMA MADRID from January 21 to 25, 2026. In its 46th edition, the event consolidates its position as the main connection point for the sector on an international scale, strengthening its global dimension and its commitment to knowledge as an engine of transformation for the industry.

The figures presented at the press conference support this positioning: FITUR 2026 will occupy nine pavilions and bring together 10,000 companies from 161 countries, 111 of them with official representation—ten more than in the previous edition—in addition to 967 main exhibitors. Overall, international participation has grown by 11%.

The fair has added 18 new countries, primarily from Africa and Asia-Pacific, regions that have increased their exhibition space by 34% and 22%, respectively. New participating destinations include Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Zanzibar, and various regions in Germany and the United Kingdom.

These figures reflect the excellent moment that tourism is experiencing globally. Between January and September 2025, more than 1.1 billion international tourists visited the world, surpassing 2019 levels, according to UN Tourism data.

The Knowledge Pavilion and new proposals

In this context, FITUR 2026 reinforces its role as a major forum for debate within the sector with significant new features. A highlight is the creation of the Knowledge Pavilion, located in Hall 12 and open during the professional days. This space is presented as the strategic hub for tourism thinking, with eight auditoriums, ten conference programs, more than 200 sessions, and the participation of over 250 top-level speakers.

The Knowledge Pavilion will also incorporate new initiatives such as FITUR Experience, focused on experiential tourism as one of the most transformative dynamics in the industry, and the 1st International Summit on Communication and Tourism, which will address the challenges of tourism communication with experts and representatives from the public and private sectors. In addition, the Travel Technology area will double in size and bring together more than 190 leading innovation companies.

Economic impact and visitor forecast

The high level of participation anticipates a significant influx of visitors, with forecasts exceeding 150,000 professionals during the business days and nearly 100,000 members of the general public attending over the weekend. FITUR continues to be a key economic driver for the city of Madrid, with an impact that reached €487 million in the previous edition.

Mexico, Partner Country of FITUR 2026

Mexico will participate as a Partner Country at FITUR 2026, with a significant institutional and business presence. This participation comes against a backdrop of 13.9% tourism growth between January and September 2025, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism (Sectur), and with the goal of consolidating its position as the fifth most visited country in the world.

Sustainability, accessibility and openness to the public

The fair will once again address the main challenges of the sector through its 11 specialized sections, including FITUR 4all, FITUR Cruises, FITUR Experience, FITUR Know-How & Export, FITUR LGTB+, FITUR Lingua, FITUR Screen, FITUR Sports, FITUR Talent, FITUR TechY, FITUR Woman and the FITURNEXT Sustainability Observatory, distributed in different pavilions of the fairgrounds.

With the aim of facilitating professional access, FITUR will enable a fast track through the Southeast entrance and recommends the use of public transport, with a reinforcement of the Metro Line 8 service.

Over the weekend, the fair will open its doors to the general public with a wide range of activities, workshops and experiential proposals, consolidating itself as one of the great open events on the international tourism calendar.