Teresa Arizti: FITUR 2026 has boosted Piñero's notoriety and leadership

What effects has Piñero's participation in FITUR 2026 had and how has it contributed to boosting the company's business and image?

Our organisation's participation in FITUR 2026 has been highly positive. This year, the trade fair has allowed us to reinforce the positioning and notoriety of the Piñero brand, consolidate our leadership and strengthen key bonds with our stakeholders, thus consolidating our role as an important player in the tourism industry.

FITUR gave us the opportunity to strengthen our position in the market and maintain a direct dialogue with partners, agencies and institutions, generating highly valuable strategic conversations. The response from the professional audience was particularly significant, with a high level of interest in our initiatives and in the strategic developments we are presenting for this year. Likewise, our stand was consolidated as a benchmark space within the hall, facilitating quality meetings and generating real opportunities to continue expanding our activity and strengthening our brand positioning.

How do you rate the number of trade visitors to the company's stand at the trade fair and what were the highlights of the activities on your stand?

During FITUR 2026, our stand registered a high influx of professional visitors, with a full agenda of meetings and a continuous flow of contacts with partners, suppliers, allies and institutions. Among the most outstanding activities, we carried out the activation of Piñero's rebranding, a central milestone of this edition, which was officially presented to partners, agencies, media and institutional figures, obtaining an exceptional reception.

We also implemented for the first time the Sustainability 360º initiative, a cross-cutting deployment that integrated verifiable environmental impact criteria - including a real-time digital carbon footprint counter, responsible catering measures, sustainable materials and low-emission mobility - consolidating the stand as a benchmark for sustainable innovation at the trade fair. We also held the 4th edition of the Los + Ecoístas Awards, recognising companies, entities and disseminators committed to sustainability and the fight against climate change, an event that attracted the media, institutions and the Piñero family.

A press conference was called to celebrate the first year of our alliance with Hyatt in the management of Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts. The meeting was attended by Encarna Piñero, Global CEO of Piñero and Chairman of Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts; Javier Águila, President of Hyatt's Inclusive Collection globally; and Julio Pérez, CEO of Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts. It was moderated by journalist Laura Blanco and was attended by the media and industry partners.

Another key moment was the presentation of Piñero's new project, Terreno Barrio Hotel, a session that brought together the press, institutions and stakeholders together with its co-creators, accompanied by show cooking and experiential content, generating great interest due to the project's innovative nature. For its part, Soltour took part in the round table "De-seasonalisation of tourism in Spain: the senior traveller and island destinations as a driver for change", as part of the Soltour Talks, with the participation of authorities and industry experts to address solutions for a more balanced and sustainable tourism.

In addition to all this, important institutional meetings were held at our stand, including with Gloria Guevara, President of the WTTC; Edmund Bartlett, Minister of Tourism of Jamaica; Mara Lezama, Governor of Quintana Roo, together with her team; Anabel Bueno, Ambassador of the Dominican Republic to UN Tourism; the Minister of Tourism of the Balearic Islands and the President of the Consell; and Juan Bancalari, President of Asonahores.

Finally, Piñero's space was consolidated as a point of reference in the hall, also boosted by the official recognition of the Sustainable Stand, reinforcing its leadership in sustainability and positive impact communication.

What proposals and messages did Grupo Piñero highlight in its different business areas during the trade fair?

At FITUR 2026 we highlighted an integrated offer from all of Grupo Piñero's business areas. In Hospitality (Bahia Principe Hotels & Resorts + Cayo Levantado Resort + alliance with Hyatt), the hotel renovations planned within the 2025-2026 roadmap; the evolution of the hotel offer under the joint venture with Hyatt to reinforce positioning and guest experience; and the presentation of Terreno Barrio Hotel, including its gastronomic and conceptual project with co-creators.

In Travel (Soltour), the reinforced programme for 2026 with strategic destinations (Dominican Republic, Mexico, Spanish Islands, Europe and Egypt); new itineraries and operations with direct flights, highlighting island destinations and the Caribbean; and the Soltour Talks round table on deseasonalisation and senior tourism. In addition, over the weekend the stand was made available to travel agencies so that they could market Soltour products directly, bringing operations even closer to the channel and boosting sales at the trade fair.

In terms of 360º sustainability (transversal to the entire Group), it was the first stand with a positive impact measured in real time, with a digital carbon footprint counter, certified materials and integral LCA process; responsible catering with Km0 products and local suppliers; sustainable mobility for teams and suppliers; and reduction and final compensation of the footprint generated at the trade fair.  

Finally, in relation to ESG commitment and corporate culture, it is worth highlighting the 4th edition of the Los + Ecoístas Awards, a recognition that Piñero awards each year to companies, organisations and individuals who stand out for their best environmental practices, their commitment to sustainability and their active contribution to caring for the planet. These awards are part of the "We are Ecoists" movement, created to multiply best practices within the tourism value chain and to give visibility to transformative projects. This year's edition also included three new categories aimed at communication profiles: Key Opinion Leader, Disseminator and Content Creator + Ecoist, reinforcing the role of communication and influence in raising environmental awareness. In addition, the Group's institutional positioning as a responsible and sustainable benchmark was reinforced.

With regard to the key messages launched to the public, emphasis was placed on commitment to responsible, measurable and verifiable tourism, including the footprint reduction and compensation plan; the commitment to differentiating products and positioning of the new Piñero strategy, and its new brand; and the reinforcement of strategic alliances and institutional collaboration.

How did your presence at FITUR 2026 contribute to enhancing your business and commercial contacts?

Our participation in FITUR 2026 clearly contributed to boosting our activity, in line with the strategic objectives set for this edition. The trade fair allowed us to generate high-value contacts with national and international companies, expanding business opportunities and reinforcing the visibility of our brand.

Direct contact with customers, institutions and partners was key to detecting trends and adjusting priorities, which will help us refine our 2026 strategy and strengthen our value proposition. In addition, the fair served to consolidate strategic agreements with priority destinations, boosting the expansion of our operations and improving the connectivity and competitiveness of the offer planned for this year. These developments were fully integrated into the 2026 action plan.