Fitur 2026 will take place from 21 to 25 January at Madrid’s Éma Centre and will showcase the growth potential of the UAE’s tourism market. In 2024, Spain welcomed more than 200,000 Emirati visitors, an increase of 17% from the previous year, according to the Spanish GCC Tourism Office the average per tourist spent €3,000 per trip, an increase of 6%, according to the Tourism Spending Survey conducted by the National Institute of Statistics (INE).
Tourism flows from the Arabian Gulf region are expected to continue to rise in 2025, driven by growing interest in Spain as a cultural, shopping and high-end destination, as well as an increase in air transport lines. Flight forecasts between the UAE and Spain for the period from October 2025 to March 2026 indicate an increase of 27.4%, which will increase passenger traffic between the two countries. The total number of travelers traveling between Spain and the UAE annually is estimated to be as high as 140 thousand people in both directions.
The UAE will have a particularly prominent presence at Fitur 2026.Abu Dhabi will participate for the first time with an institutional and commercial delegation, the most important of which is Etihad Airways, which is considered one of the most prominent air connectivity engines with Spain, and Dubai will return to participate again after its participation in 2023, reinforcing the position of Fitur as a major platform for tourism promotion to the destinations of the Arabian Gulf.
The Emirati delegation includes about 40 companies and institutions, representing the UAE’s strong tourism ecosystem. Some of the most prominent tourism operators are: ODYSSEY DMC ,Travco ,Arabian Adventures ,Masarra DMC ,RezLive.com ,Happy Travel , hotel chains and groups such as Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi , and voco Dubai ,JA Resorts & Hotels ,Rixos Hotels , and City Seasons Hotels , as well as world-renowned cultural and entertainment entities such as Dubai Entertainment Holding, Emaar Entertainment, Museum of the Future, Saadiyat Cultural District, and Tourism 365. At the Travel Technology Gallery. Travel technology will feature Yalago and RezLive.
The dynamism of the UAE’s tourism sector, which is estimated to spend USD 7 billion overseas according to Global Data, and the diversity of its tourist destinations, make the UAE a strategic market for Spain and a key player in Fitur 2026.
