- The 14th FITUR Know-How & Export runs 21–25 January 2026 at IFEMA MADRID (Hall 12, Knowledge Hub).
- It is organised by FITUR and SEGITTUR, with support from ICEX.
- The star of the show is the Smart Tourism Platform, described as the “digital brain of tourism.”
- A central theme: connected tourism and the future tourism data space (interoperability, innovation, competitiveness).
- Smart Destinations is expanding internationally, with examples in Peru, Bogotá, and Montevideo.
- DTI awards will be presented on Thursday, January 22, to 70+ Spanish destinations.
- Sustainability and talent development appear as key pillars, with involvement from CEHAT and UN Tourism.
- Workshops and training sessions will cover digitisation, data use, sustainability, and tourism competitiveness.
- Also read: FITUR 4all 2026 and the Art of Selling Accessibility
Tourism has always been sold as a feeling: sunlight, freedom, romance, “escape.” But behind the curtain, the industry is increasingly powered by something far less poetic — data, and lots of it.
That is why the 14th edition of FITUR Know-How & Export (21–23 January 2026) is positioning itself like a control room for what comes next. Hosted in the Knowledge Hub (Hall 12) at IFEMA MADRID, this event is less about postcards and more about how destinations will operate when tourism is fully connected, measurable, and digitally managed.
The initiative is organised by FITUR, in collaboration with SEGITTUR, supported by ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, and designed to showcase projects linked to Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan, with funding linked to NextGenerationEU.
Translation for normal humans: Spain is using European money to push tourism into a new digital era — fast.
The Digital Brain of Tourism
The headline attraction is the Smart Tourism Platform, which is prominently labelled the “digital brain of tourism.” And yes, it is dramatic. But it is also accurate.
Over three days, visitors will be able to explore the platform through interactive screens, learning how it serves destinations, tourism businesses, travellers, and, most importantly, how it uses data to build smarter, more efficient tourism experiences.
This is the part where tourism stops being just hospitality and becomes more like a system: collecting information, predicting trends, managing flows, and adjusting services in real time.
Which sounds impressive until you remember how many destinations still cannot manage a basic bin collection in August. But let us stay optimistic.
Smart Destination Platform in Action
Rather than keeping everything theoretical, Spanish destinations will showcase real-world applications of the innovative model.
Among them:
- Benidorm
- Diputación de Jaén
- Jerez de la Frontera
- Grazalema
They will share how they applied the Smart Destination Platform, offering practical case studies of local digital transition.
This is important because the future of tourism is not only about “having a platform” but also about whether municipalities, local businesses, and tourism boards can use it without breaking into a cold sweat.
Connected Tourism and the Rise of a Tourism Data Space
Another major topic at FITUR Know-How & Export 2026 is connected tourism and the concept of a tourism data space.
In plain language, this means:
- Sharing data properly between systems.
- Improving interoperability.
- Creating conditions for innovation.
- Keeping destinations competitive.
Visitors will be informed:
- How the initiative will function,
- How stakeholders can participate,
- Why is it being positioned as decisive for the sector’s future.
This is tourism trying to become more like aviation: structured, integrated, smart — not a chaotic pile of seasonal decisions and last-minute panic.
A noble dream. A difficult one. But at least they are finally saying it out loud.
Smart Destinations Go Global
Spain’s “Smart Destinations” model is being promoted as a methodology to support emerging destinations—both domestically and internationally.
This year, FITUR Know-How & Export will also feature international destinations adopting the Spanish approach, including Peru, Bogotá, and Montevideo.
That matters because tourism policy is contagious: once one region claims it has found the solution, everyone else starts downloading it like an app.
Awards, Sustainability, and the One Issue Nobody Can Ignore
On Thursday, January 22, the event will present the DTI Awards to more than 70 Spanish destinations.
But the agenda is not only digital. Sustainability is also a central focus, with emphasis on tourism products linked to the primary sector and on promoting the circular economy across destinations and businesses.
Alongside sustainability, the event highlights another urgent priority: human capital.
Representatives from CEHAT (Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation) and UNWTO, among other speakers, will focus on the roles of talent, training, and education.
Because you can build the most advanced platform on earth — but without trained people, it becomes another expensive dashboard nobody logs into.
Workshops and Training Sessions
During the professional days, the program includes workshops and training sessions on destination digitisation, data use and interconnection, sustainability strategy, and tourism competitiveness.
It is the kind of agenda that tells you FITUR is no longer just an “expo.” It is trying to become a technical reference point.
With this 14th edition, FITUR Know-How & Export is clearly positioning itself as a catalyst for change—pushing tourism toward a model that is smarter, more connected, and more sustainable —buzzwords we are already saturated with. Underneath all the jargon, the real message is sad: tourism is no longer just about people and destinations. It is about systems and AI.
