FITUR Lingua's professional conference will focus on the importance of language as a driver of tourism

FITUR Lingua will once again place language at the centre of the tourism debate with a day dedicated to analysing its role as a determining factor in the cultural and educational experience for destinations. Organised by FITUR together with FEDELE (The Federation of Associations of Spanish schools in Spain), the section will hold its sixth edition in Hall 10 of IFEMA MADRID under the slogan 'Language as a multiplier effect of tourism'.

The conference, set to take place on Thursday 22 January, will focus on how language teaching and the cultural dimension of travel are influencing the progress and transformation of tourism. A specialised programme, with the participation of institutional representatives and industry professionals, will analyse the new motivations of travellers; the value of linguistic immersion and the role of education as a key driver for destinations, all in a current tourism context marked by the search for more authentic, educational and sustainable experiences.

The section is also organising various networking and connection dynamics aimed at promoting the exchange of knowledge and the creation of synergies between the different industry agents, in order to make this new edition of FITUR Lingua a unique commitment to promoting international language tourism.

A day structured around the opportunities of language tourism

The day will begin with "The new profile of the language tourist: the new groups and their motivations", a block focused on analysing how the interests, expectations and behaviour of international students have evolved. Based on the initial data from the FEDELE 2025 Sectoral Report and the study of the ELE (Spanish acronym for teaching Spanish as a foreign language) student in Spain carried out together with the University of Seville, the current situation of language tourism and the factors that influence the choice of destination will be presented. Representatives of FEDELE and the International Federation of Education Consultants Associations (FELCA) will be participating in this space. In addition, another study developed by EDUSPAIN and ICEX Spain Trade and Investment will be presented. Entitled "The impact of real estate on the attraction of international students”  it will look at how the property sector affects Spain's positioning when it comes to attracting foreign students.

Through "Seeking new educational and tourism experiences for a demanding student", new educational and tourism experiences that enhance the quality of destinations will be shown, including new city developments, projects, international relations or cultural activities. Organisations such as ASEPROCE (the Spanish Association of Promoters of Language Courses Abroad), ASILS or Groupement FLE will be taking part, together with projects that link language learning with areas such as heritage, sport or creativity, with examples of success stories presented by Cooltourspain.

The conference will continue with "Educational projects and international collaboration as a fundamental pillar for the multiplier effect of tourism", which will be a key block to highlight the role of institutional alliances and international cooperation in the promotion of Spanish abroad. This space will be showcasing initiatives promoted by entities such as TURESPAÑA, the Directorate General for Spanish Language in the World and the Instituto Cervantes, which work to promote the Spanish language and academic mobility.

The day will conclude with "Creating a new strategy for language tourism", which will be a space for joint reflection in which representatives from different destinations and entities will debate on the new strategies that must be created as schools, regions and professionals in the industry. This round table will bring together the essential lines that outline the progress of language tourism, with the experience of cities linked to Spanish Week and other key industry agents.

Since 2021, FITUR Lingua has been an essential space for fostering the future of language tourism. The sixth edition of the section, organised by FITUR in collaboration with FEDELE, is being held within the framework of the International Tourism Trade Fair, the industry's largest global meeting point, taking place from 21 to 25 January at IFEMA MADRID.

FEDELE Media Contacts:

Daniel Escalona, Marketing director of FEDELE ([email protected])