FITUR Experience: new section dedicated to experiential tourism in the Knowledge Hub at FITUR 2026

With its sights set on travellers who are no longer just looking for destinations, but for experiences that connect them with the place, the International Tourism Trade Fair, taking place from 21 to 25 January at IFEMA MADRID, is launching FITUR Experience, a new section that to showcase the importance that experiential tourism is leading in the evolution of the industry.

FITUR Experience, which is opening its doors on Thursday 22 January in the Knowledge Hub, the new space where innovation, digitalisation and trends in the tourism industry will be concentrated, will be focusing on how experiential tourism has established itself as one of the most transformative dynamics in the industry on a global level. Driven by travellers seeking authentic, personalised and emotionally meaningful experiences, and thanks to the advancement of digital platforms, diversification of supply and growing interest in sustainable development, experiential tourism has not only expanded its international reach, but has also become a key driver for innovation and competitiveness in emerging and established destinations.

A professional conference to understand the boom in experiential tourism

The professional programme FITUR Experience, carried out in collaboration with Viator, a Tripadvisor company and the world's largest travel experiences marketplace, will be providing an overview of the global experiential market, with analyses on the size of the industry, traveller expectations and the booking patterns that are shaping its evolution.

With a programme of professional conferences aimed at companies, destinations and operators, it will be offering a comprehensive look at its growing influence on the way people choose and experience travel, as well as their contribution to achieving more sustainable tourism, boosting the local economy, conserving cultural and natural heritage and diversifying the tourism offer. In addition, experts will share real cases that will show how operators work, what elements differentiate the best performing proposals, from personalisation to sustainability, or the growing demand for premium experiences, and how this tourism trend can transform the tourism products offered by small local entrepreneurs.

The day’s events will move forward with content focused on the commercialisation and visibility of experiences, including a look at the main distribution channels and the keys that determine the conversion and performance of a product on global platforms. The best practices of high performing operators will be another area for discussion, as well as recommendations based on real data and success stories.

It will also dedicate a space to the Spanish context with a reading of the trends that are defining demand and supply in the country: from the growth of tourism to the promotion of gastronomic, cultural or adventure proposals that are gaining importance in different territories. This block will allow the identification of development opportunities for both consolidated destinations and emerging areas.

FITUR Experience will be open to travellers at the weekend

Over the weekend, on Saturday 24 January and Sunday 25, FITUR Experience will open its space to the general public with a programme that will include the XVI Quedada de Viajeros, (16th Travellers' Meet-up) organised by Minube, as well as a carefully selected range of activities designed by the exhibitors that transform FITUR into a true tourism festival and which are designed to offer visitors unique experiences and unforgettable moments during their visit to the Trade Fair.

FITUR Experience comes at a time when experiential tourism is transforming the industry's value chain and generating new opportunities for regions, companies and professionals. This is a trend that the section is picking up and projecting within the International Tourism Trade Fair, organised from 21 to 25 January by IFEMA MADRID, as a space that gives a voice to those who are leading this change and to the experiences that today define a different way of travelling.