Photo courtesy FITUR 2026
Mexico made its biggest international tourism play in years last month, arriving at the 46th edition of the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid as the event’s official Partner Country. The designation gave Mexico the largest exhibition stand in the fair’s Americas area, which housed all 32 federal states under one roof.
A delegation of more than 800 government officials, business leaders, and private-sector representatives made the trip to IFEMA MADRID for the five-day event that ran from January 21 to 25. Their mission? To prove to European travel buyers, tour operators, and international media that Mexico is far more than just a beach holiday.
The timing made sense. Between January and October 2025, Mexico received 79.3 million international visitors, a 13.6 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024, according to SECTUR (Secretaría de Turismo). Foreign exchange revenue from international visitors hit $25.7 billion USD for the January-to-September period, up 6.2 percent year-over-year. And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup bringing matches to Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara, the government saw FITUR as a launchpad for what officials are calling a “historic year” for Mexican tourism.
Mexico’s Cultural Diplomacy
Mexico’s presence at FITUR 2026 was not confined to the exhibition halls. One of the most talked-about moments of the fair had nothing to do with trade booths at all. A reinterpretation of Madrid’s famous El Oso y el Madroño (The Bear and the Strawberry Tree) sculpture appeared at the Puerta del Sol, rendered in the bright, beaded style of Wixárika (Huichol) art. The original stone-and-bronze statue, which has stood as a symbol of Madrid since the 1960s, was reimagined through Indigenous Mexican artistic tradition, drawing attention from locals and tourists passing through one of the city’s busiest public squares.
Inside the exhibition center, the Mexican pavilion featured an exhibition titled “Suave Patria” (Gentle Homeland) that showcased folk art from regions across the country. A photographic installation highlighted the ingredients and traditional cooks behind Mexican cuisine, which earned its UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity designation in 2010. FITUR 2026 also marked the 15th anniversary of that recognition, giving the delegation an opportunity to put food at the center of its tourism pitch.
Cultural performances included the Guelaguetza dance of Oaxaca and the Danza de los Viejitos from Michoacán. Artisan markets were set up alongside destination presentations, and Indigenous communities played a role in the official inauguration ceremony. In total, organizers counted more than 100 cultural activations inside and outside IFEMA during the five days.
New Air Routes and Hotel Deals
Perhaps the most concrete outcomes from FITUR 2026 came in the form of new air connectivity and hotel investment announcements. Aeroméxico confirmed two new European routes: Mexico City to Barcelona, launching in March, and Monterrey to Paris, starting in April. The airline expects a nine percent increase in connectivity with Spain during the first half of 2026 and plans to operate up to 71 weekly flights between Mexico and Spanish destinations during the summer season. Giancarlo Mulinelli, Aeroméxico’s senior vice president of global sales, also signed a letter of intent with the Mexico City Tourism Promotion Trust to jointly promote the capital ahead of the World Cup.
Iberia, the fair’s host airline, announced its own expansion: a new Madrid-to-Monterrey route launching in June with three weekly frequencies. Additional routes confirmed at the fair included Guadalajara to Madrid and a Querétaro to Madrid service with Iberojet. Talks between Air Europa and the state of Guanajuato opened discussions for a possible new connection between the colonial heartland and Europe.
On the hotel side, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts announced it is conducting a feasibility study to develop up to 25 new properties across Mexico. The announcement came alongside Mexico’s participation in investment forums organized by BBVA and Santander, and meetings with international hotel groups looking at expansion opportunities in both resort and urban markets.
The European Market
Mexico’s push at FITUR is part of a broader strategy to attract more travelers from Europe. While the United States and Canada remain the country’s dominant source markets, accounting for 67.3 percent and 11.4 percent of international visitors respectively, European tourists tend to stay longer and spend more per trip. That high-value profile makes the European market a natural target for a country looking to move up from its current position as the sixth most-visited destination on the planet.
As part of this effort, the delegation launched “Ventana a México” (Window to Mexico), a permanent space in Spain designed for all 32 states to present tourism, cultural, and food offerings to European operators, travel agencies, and media on an ongoing basis. Seminars and webinars with major Spanish travel agencies had already been running in the months leading up to FITUR, part of a sustained promotional campaign in European distribution networks.
The profile of Mexico’s international visitors is shifting, too. Travelers between the ages of 30 and 59 now account for 52.9 percent of tourists entering the country by air. Average spending by inbound air tourists reached $1,242.60 USD through the third quarter of 2025, a 6.1 percent increase over the prior year. Women travelers also grew as a segment, with 6.61 million foreign women arriving by air in the first seven months of 2025.
“Three Times UNESCO” Distinction
Among the individual state-level highlights, San Luis Potosí received a “Three Times UNESCO” distinction at FITUR 2026. The recognition elevated the state’s international profile and underscored the cultural, educational, and creative depth of destinations beyond Mexico’s well-known beach corridors. It was a fitting example of the delegation’s broader message: that tourism in Mexico now reaches far beyond Cancún and Los Cabos into colonial cities, Indigenous communities, and lesser-known regions with their own draw.
Mexico’s state tourism authorities also used FITUR 2026 to present a national guide aimed at aligning competitiveness with sustainability across the country’s tourism sector. The guide was developed as a coordinated effort among the states and reflects a policy direction that Mexican officials have been signaling for several years. With environmental pressures mounting in popular destinations like Tulum and the Riviera Maya, the timing of a sustainability framework aimed at European audiences was deliberate.
The fair itself reinforced that theme, with FITUR 2026 occupying nine exhibition halls and introducing a new Knowledge Hub in Hall 12. That space hosted more than 200 sessions featuring 250 international experts on subjects including artificial intelligence, destination governance, and sustainable tourism practices.
What’s Next?
Mexico left FITUR 2026 with expanded air connectivity, new hotel investment commitments, and a raised profile in one of its most strategically important tourism markets. The delegation secured promotional placements on FlixBus vehicles and in Madrid Metro stations, extending the country’s visibility well beyond the exhibition center walls.
With the World Cup kicking off later this year and a stated goal of reaching fifth place on the global tourism rankings, the question is whether the momentum from Madrid translates into measurable growth from European markets. For now, the numbers are moving in the right direction, and Mexico has made sure the travel industry is paying attention.