Madrid, culture, leisure and luxury
Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID, the joint project promoted by the Community of Madrid, the Madrid City Council and IFEMA MADRID, has held its first Madrid Tourism Experts Roundtable.
This meeting is part of the recently approved second agreement, securing an investment of €38.4 million through 2027 to position Madrid as a tourist destination abroad.
This new agreement seeks to continue efforts to position the Spanish capital as a major leisure destination, the world's leading cultural destination, and a leading capital for luxury and high-impact tourism, consolidating lifestyle as a key differentiating factor for Madrid compared to its competing destinations.
The Expert Panel was made up of leading tourism sector associations, as well as representatives of public entities.
Since its creation, Madrid Turismo by IFEMA MADRID has consolidated a successful model of public-private collaboration that optimizes resources and promotes comprehensive, sustainable, and coordinated tourism management in the region.
The launch of this initiative has resulted in a 2% increase in the number of international tourists to the region, with a notable 14% increase in the city of Madrid between 2023 and 2024. Furthermore, the average daily expenditure of these tourists has experienced a growth of 12.5% since 2019, reflecting the positive impact of coordinated promotional and marketing actions.
Alfonso del Poyo (Vice President Spain & Latam at Meliá Hotels International), Francisca Mérida (Senior Director of Corporate Sales Strategy at Meliá Hotels International), Camila Lejarraga (1st Vice President of OPC Madrid), Genoveva Escalada (Head of Corporate Relations and Administration at AEHM), Mar de Miguel (Executive Vice President at AEHM), José Antonio Aparicio Gregorio (President of Hostelería Madrid), Alicia Abascal Samperio (Manager of Strategic Agreements and Traffic Rights at Iberia), Marianne Bebic (Marketing & Communication Director Southern Europe at Minor Hotels Europe and Americas), David Escolar (Director of Business Development Spain at Minor Hotels Europe & Americas) and Marco Chiriatti (Director of International Customer at El Corte Inglés).
The next international tourism fair (FITUR), with Mexico as a Partner Country, will be held from January 21 to 25, 2026, and will boost trade and cooperation relations to boost the global tourism market.
María Valcarce, Director of FITUR, emphasized that "after a 2025 in which the Fair exceeded its expectations with record numbers, in 2026, with Mexico as a Partner Country, we are taking a new step that will strengthen FITUR's global leadership, increasing its relevance in activating the global tourism market and its role in promoting knowledge and innovation geared toward a renewed and sustainable tourism model."
A Window to the Tourism of the Future
During FITUR's professional days—Wednesday, January 21, Thursday, January 22, and Friday, January 23—experts from around the world will meet in hundreds of sessions to present proposals, share experiences, and disseminate best practices that are shaping the trends in the tourism industry. In addition, the dissemination of knowledge and technology will be promoted, making it available to companies and professionals in the sector.
The Knowledge Pavilion, which will bring together highly relevant and topical content, will host the FITUR TechY, FITUR Know-How & Export, FITUR Sports, the FITURNEXT Observatory, and the Travel Technology area, as well as new specialized content aligned with industry challenges that will enhance the congress offerings of the International Tourism Fair.
FITURNEXT Observatory
This Fair platform focuses its seventh edition on research and analysis of tourism initiatives that contribute to responsible water consumption and reduce water stress.
It's worth noting that water consumption is much higher in tourist areas: while the average consumption of a resident is around 127 liters per day, that of a tourist is between 450 and 800 liters per day.
Until August 31st of this year, a call is open to any company, public administration, organization, or project that promotes sustainable water use in the tourism sector and seeks to raise awareness and inspire other destinations seeking to improve their relationship with water resources with their replicable models. The selected projects, which must meet the criteria of a replicability barometer and an impact barometer, will be awarded during FITUR 2026.
Initiatives can be submitted in three categories:
1. Destinations and other territories: aimed at public administrations and territorial organizations to implement innovative strategies for sustainable water cycle management.
2. HORECA and transport sector: focused on accommodation, catering, and transport companies that implement solutions to optimize water use in their tourism services.
3. Other stakeholders in the tourism value chain: for travel agencies, operators, tourism experience companies, and other entities with tools or initiatives that promote responsible water use in the industry.
Present your initiative to the 2026 Challenge of the FITURNEXT Observatory