Madrid.- The International Tourism Fair (Fitur) kicks off its 46th edition with Spain in mourning, following the train accident this Sunday in Adamuz (Córdoba) which, so far, has claimed the lives of 42 people, so the involved railway operators, Iryo and Renfe, have canceled their events at the fair, as Ouigo has also done.
With the three days of official mourning declared by the Government, in force until Thursday, the cancellations of the railway companies join those agreed for the public acts of other companies, such as Iberia, Paradores or Amadeus, among others, in addition to those of regional and provincial entities, although they will maintain their activity and meetings with sector agents.
Also Cancelled Exceltur
Also the Exceltur tourism alliance, which brings together more than thirty companies in the sector, canceled its biennial forum, which was to have been held this Tuesday at Ifema.
Despite this, Madrid will be the world capital of tourism from Wednesday to Sunday – as usual in the third week of January – with Mexico as a partner country and with more than 10,000 participating companies, 161 countries and 967 exhibitors.
Official Inauguration on Thursday
The official inauguration by King Felipe and Queen Letizia is scheduled for the second day, Thursday.
In this edition, there will be 9% more exhibitors than the previous year and 11% more internationally, who will set up their stands in 12 pavilions and 8,000 square meters more than in 2025.
The organizers expect around 255,000 visitors, including professionals who will attend from Wednesday to Friday and the general public on the weekend, who will leave around 500 million euros in Madrid, slightly more than 2.5% over the previous year.
This year, 18 countries are incorporated, mainly from Africa and Asia-Pacific, regions that, according to UN Tourism, led the global growth of tourist arrivals in 2025.
In the Middle East, new participating destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Lebanon, and Syria stand out. There will also be representation from Algeria, Angola, Somalia, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Haiti, Cayman Islands, North Macedonia, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, or regions of Germany, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland.
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Among the novelties of this edition, the Knowledge Pavilion stands out, open to professional conferences and conceived as a strategic center for tourism knowledge, with 8 auditoriums, 10 conference programs, more than 200 sessions and 250 speakers.
In addition, it will host the new Fitur Experience section, which will focus on how experience tourism has established itself as one of the most transformative dynamics in the sector.
The Travel Technology area doubles its surface area and brings together more than 190 digitalization companies throughout the industry’s value chain.
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Open to the public since Saturday
During the weekend, Fitur opens to the general public, with tastings, workshops, contests and other activities organized by the exhibitors.
Amidst the entire display, the replica of the Grand Egyptian Museum recently inaugurated in Cairo stands out, as well as the Minube Travelers’ Gathering, or the ‘free tours’ through Fitur by Civitatis.
