FITUR 2026 announces the winners of the Best Stand Award and the Sustainable Stand Award

The International Tourism Trade Fair (FITUR), organized by IFEMA MADRID from 21 to 25 January, announced during its third professional day the winners of the 46th Best Stand Awards and the 7th Sustainable Stand Awards. These awards recognize excellence in stand design, image and functionality, as well as commitment to sustainable participation.

Vincci, Meliá and Alsa win Best Stand in the Companies category 

Vincci’s stand presents an original, playful and emotionally engaging concept, design and staging. The company showcases the world of hospitality through ingenious details, featuring Op Art-inspired compositions and highly “Instagrammable” spaces.

Meliá, meanwhile, successfully conveys its simple and elegant brand image, with a strong Mediterranean and natural character. An olive tree as the central feature and a large skylight shape an organically developed architectural space. Elements of Spanish and natural essence — ceramic latticework, recognizable landscaping, earthy colour palettes and fine translucent panels — create a functional stand that conveys beauty, serenity and sustainability. 

With a layout divided by a central corridor, Alsa has managed to integrate both sections with a simplicity that reflects strong design work and an effective translation of its graphic brand into the physical space. Two cantilevered canopies invite visitors on an imaginary journey, guided by a reinterpreted typeface and a deep blue sky that accompanies the route.

Guatemala, Abu Dhabi and Egypt awarded in Countries and Regions 

Guatemala features a delicate and elegant stand imbued with ancestral beauty. The space is built around four essential elements: wood, colourful textile threads, a large pyramidal screen and Mayan glyph imagery. Through a minimalist design, the destination offers a perfect representation of the country’s nature, architecture, craftsmanship and tradition.

En el stand de Abu Dhabi, el lujo y las tradiciones del país quedan patentes a través de acabados elegantes y toques étnicos. El espacio recrea un gran oasis y una zona urbana, destacando la alfombra suave, la arena, las celosías, los detalles en madera oscura y el mobiliario en tonos verdes, integrados con construcciones modernas y orgánicas.

At the Abu Dhabi stand, luxury and national traditions are expressed through refined finishes and ethnic accents. The space recreates a large oasis alongside an urban area, highlighting soft carpets, sand, latticework, dark wood details and green-toned furniture, all integrated with modern, organic structures.

Egypt brings its historical legacy to FITUR through a stand that references Abu Simbel on one side and, further south, the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Pharaonic presence is reflected in both monumental installations, across the commercial and exhibition (museum) areas. Aswan Egyptian stone is widely used throughout the structures, alongside luminous spaces that evoke the power of the sun and the grandeur of ancient Egypt.

Castilla y León, Madrid and Galicia win in the Autonomous Communities category

Castilla y León’s stand, under the slogan “The sky has chosen us”, presents a dark and mysterious sky filled with distant stars, moons and planets visible in broad daylight. The entire region is immersed in an artificial night-time atmosphere created by the imminent solar eclipse. The space allows visitors to feel part of what will unfold during the summer of August 2026.

The Madrid stand, titled “Madrid Marca, the brand of Madrid”, captures attention from every angle of the pavilion. This monumental space invites exploration of every corner, featuring the Santiago Bernabéu stadium alongside the everyday roadways of the city, the flow of contemporary urban life rooted in tradition, and even a racing circuit. The way technology is integrated with tradition reflects a forward-looking vision that remains relevant over time and changing trends.

Finally, Galicia presented a proposal centred on land, water and rain. Through a cascade of changing images and mirrored elements, the stand continuously reflects water, light and movement, letting droplets fall one by one as fragments of what defines and makes Galicia proud.

Winners of the 7th FITUR Sustainable Stand Awards 2026 

Sustainability is a core pillar of FITUR and, in order to highlight the efforts of tourist destinations and exhibiting companies aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), FITUR presents the Sustainable Stand Awards.

On this occasion, Galicia was recognized for its commitment to innovation through the use of a textile material made from the recycling of more than 50,000 plastic bottles, used in the construction of the stand’s panels.

Cantabria’s project is based on the development of its own platform, “Inicia 2030”, designed to monitor sustainability objectives and outcomes. In addition, it features a dismantling protocol that avoids the demolition of the exhibition space. 

Grupo Piñero was awarded for its comprehensive sustainability project, reflecting a balanced global commitment that advances through the involvement of all stakeholders, including visitors.

The Castelldefels City Council was recognized for structuring its sustainability approach around cultural identity, centred on an element as local as the traditional beach bar (chiringuito), which not only serves as an aesthetic reference but also provides materials for the platform and other elements of the stand.