FITUR celebrates the excellence of the global tourism industry at its annual awards gala

In recognition of excellence in the global tourism industry, the International Tourism Trade Fair held its traditional FITUR Awards ceremony for the 2025 edition at the Teatro Real, whose jury's decision took place during FITUR 2025, held last January at IFEMA MADRID.

Every year, the FITUR Awards highlight the dedication of institutions, companies, professionals and researchers who work to strengthen the image of the tourism industry; promote the creation of new products that broaden and diversify the offer; foster sustainable development and promote academic and scientific research as a driving force for the evolution of the industry, based on knowledge and analysis.

The event, organised by IFEMA MADRID, was attended by Ana Muñoz Llabrés, Director General for Tourism Policy at Spain´s Ministry of Industry and Tourism; Quirino Ordaz, Mexican Ambassador to Spain; Marco Sansavini, Chairman of Iberia and also of the FITUR Organising Committee; Daniel Martínez, Executive Vice-President of IFEMA MADRID; and Arancha Priede, Director General of Trade Fair and Congress Business at IFEMA MADRID; among other authorities and representatives of the award-winning destinations and projects.

In the words of Daniel Martínez, Executive Vice-President of IFEMA MADRID, "these awards represent the best of a dynamic, resilient and constantly evolving sector and are an inspiration for its great work in promoting and projecting tourism; an industry that makes FITUR its privileged platform for opening up new paths for growth and opportunities in the global market". 

In this edition, the awards feature an exclusive design created by Teresa Sapey. The sculpture, entitled 'The Worlds that unite at FITUR', is made up of interlocking rings of birch wood that symbolise the different cultures, languages and regions that converge at the trade fair. Each circumference represents a world in dialogue, while the brass base provides solidity, reflecting the balance between diversity and tradition that characterises FITUR.

Best Stand Awards

In the Autonomous Communities and Institutions section, FITUR awarded the stands of the Canary Islands, Cantabria and the Basque Country. Oman, the Dominican Republic and Thailand were recognised in the category of Best Country and Regional Stand. In Companies, Sandos Hotels - ZEM WELLNESS CLINIC, Iberia and Hesperia World were awarded for their aesthetics and staging.

• Sustainable Stand Awards

Grupo Piñero, Castelldefels City Council, Paradores, Turismo de Extremadura and B&B Hotels were the award-winning stands for focusing their stands on sustainability, the cornerstone of FITUR, and for their outstanding participation due to their alignment with the SDGs of the 2030 Agenda.

• Active Tourism Awards

Organised by FITUR and AireLibre Magazine, this award seeks to promote the development and marketing of the tourism industry, with special emphasis on the promotion of active tourism products.  In the national category, the winners were 'Educabike: Pedal and discover' by the company: ESPORT ACTIU S.L., and 'Spain in Bloom’ by Agromarketing Experiencias Turísticas. In the International category, 'Cartagena de Indias, a new product offering: Religious Tourism', developed by Corporación Turismo Cartagena de Indias, and 'TUI Forest Kenya' by TUI Care Foundation.

• FITUR-Jorge Vila Fradera Tribune Award

Awarded by FITUR in collaboration with the Spanish Association of Tourism Experts (AECIT), it recognises the best academic research work related to the tourism industry. In 2024, the award went to Borja Torres Fuentes for 'The planning, governance and cross-border management of a tourist destination: the New Aquitaine-Euskadi-Navarre Euroregion'.