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Estimates suggest opening a tenth pavilion by 2026
The 45th edition of the International Tourism Fair (Fitur 2025), which will take place from January 22 to 26 at Ifema Madrid, expects to surpass the arrival of 150,000 professionals between Wednesday and Friday and reach around 100,000 attendees from the general public over the weekend, adding a total of 250,000 visitors throughout the event, equaling last year’s attendance.
It is estimated that this large flow of attendees and participants will have an economic impact on Madrid of 445 million euros in revenue, with a positive effect on sectors such as mobility, hotels, hospitality, culture, and leisure.
In particular, Fitur 2025 will have 9,500 participating companies, 156 countries, and 884 regular exhibitors, 10% more than in 2024, showcasing their offerings in nine pavilions.
This international focus, which defines the objectives of the International Tourism Fair, is also reflected in the 101 official country representations, five more than in the last edition, and the total of eleven countries that will join Fitur in 2025, coming from all over Africa and Asia.
As a reflection of the penetration of technology and innovation in the tourism sector, it is worth noting the growth of the Travel Technology area, which brings together technological trends in the management of tourism bookings, and which in its 45th edition surpasses one hundred companies from around the world, representing a sustained growth of 6%.
During a press conference on Monday, the president of the executive committee of Ifema Madrid, José Vicente de los Mozos, pointed out that the figures demonstrate the importance of the Spain brand as the «undisputed leader in reception and issuance.»
«We are ‘full throttle’,» De los Mozos stated in his remarks, while announcing that they are in talks to expand the tourism offer to a tenth pavilion for the 2026 edition.
For the director of Fitur, María Valcarce, the main strong point of the event is its positioning as «the most important fair in the world, with the greatest representation of companies and more professionals.» «We are a global market and every year we improve and grow,» she stated.
Furthermore, those affected by the DANA in the Valencian Community will have a special mention during the fair, according to De los Mozos.
BRAZIL, PARTNER COUNTRY
At the same time, Brazil will be the Partner Country of Fitur 2025 this year. The Brazilian stand will be in Pavilion 3 of Ifema Madrid, where it will showcase its diverse tourism, bringing together destinations from all its regions, airlines, operators, and hotel chains, dedicated to innovation and excellence.
In addition, the streets of the capital will be personalized from Monday with the natural and cultural attractions of the South American country.
In the words of the Ambassador of Brazil in Spain, Orlando Leite Ribeiro, their presence at Fitur as a leading country is «a great showcase» to highlight the unique moment of transformation that the country is experiencing today.
In 2024, international tourist arrivals increased by 12.6% compared to the previous year, surpassing the historic mark of 6.65 million visitors.
10 MONOGRAPHIC SECTIONS
In this new edition, the renewal of the 10 sections is announced, promoting sustainability and business through it by connecting the tourism industry with other sectors that generate new niches of travelers. This is the case of Fitur Cruises, developed with Cruceroadicto, which will demonstrate the commitment of cruises to environmental sustainability, protection of destinations, and positive impact on their communities; from Fitur LGTB+, a segment that represents more than 10% of tourists worldwide, they will demonstrate diversity and inclusion; Fitur Lingua, the space that addresses the opportunities of linguistic tourism and its activity in the decentralization and deseasonalization of tourism developed in collaboration with Fedele; Fitur Screen, which returns hand in hand with the Spanish Film Commission and will connect the film industry with the tourism industry; or Fitur Sports, organized in collaboration with AFYDAD and will show how sports tourism is a driver of sustainable tourism.
Also noteworthy is FiturTechy, created with ITH, which will address how AI is revolutionizing travel management; Fitur Talent, presented as a monographic on challenges in talent, training, and education; Fitur Woman sponsored by Extremadura and organized in collaboration with Women Leading Tourism, through which they aim to contribute to the promotion of female leadership; Fitur Know How & Export, the space created with Segittur in collaboration with ICEX for Spanish tourism companies to showcase their potential and services, and the second edition of Fitur 4all, which will promote, with the sponsorship of Mallorca, the development of accessible tourism and showcase initiatives from destinations and companies in this area through the II Fitur 4all Awards and the first Good Practices Guide, all thanks to Impulsa Igualdad.
In addition to these ten sections, the Fitur Sustainability Observatory, FiturNext in alliance with Aqualia, which will address how tourism can contribute to sustainable food management.
In this regard, following the roadmap initiated in 2023, Ifema Madrid will once again measure the carbon footprint of Fitur in areas 1 and 2, as a demonstration of its commitment to sustainability and its commitment to promoting events with low environmental impact. As a novelty, this 2025 will measure for the first time the impact in sphere 3, which measures the indirect emissions that occur as a result of the ownership of Fitur.
WEEKEND AT FITUR
On the weekend of Saturday, January 25 and Sunday, January 26, Fitur opens its doors to the ultimate traveler, who will have the opportunity to «embark on a global journey» without leaving the nine pavilions of Ifema Madrid through a schedule of activities and interactive events organized by live music performers, gastronomic tastings, awareness days on accessibility, craft workshops, or contests.
Additionally, they will have direct access to information on the wide range of tourism offerings from destinations around the world.
