FITUR Woman is set to return for its 2026 edition, placing the spotlight on women’s leadership and economic empowerment within the global tourism industry. The event will run from 21 to 25 January 2026 at IFEMA Madrid as part of the International Tourism Trade Fair, organised in collaboration with Women Leading Tourism (WLT) and supported by the Puerto Rico Tourism Company.
The initiative aims to strengthen the visibility of women across the tourism sector while examining investment as a central tool for inclusive and sustainable development. This year’s programme will explore tourism’s role as a driver of economic and social transformation and how greater access to education, resources and training can contribute to more equitable growth.
The main day of sessions, scheduled for Wednesday 21 January in Hall 10, will gather representatives from government, business and academia to discuss how the industry can create fairer opportunities. Under the theme “Empowerment as a priority in global development: the role of investment and economic empowerment in tourism,” speakers will assess the conditions needed to support women’s leadership and long-term sector development.
The Puerto Rico Tourism Company, along with its destination brand “Descubre Puerto Rico,” will take part in this edition as an example of a market advancing women’s roles in tourism. In a statement, the organisation said its participation aims to reflect a public policy commitment towards “tourism that creates real opportunities for women and contributes to a more inclusive development,” adding that it believes in a sector capable of promoting female talent and generating positive social and economic impact.
The 2026 programme will feature a full day of discussions organised into thematic blocks, along with the FITUR Woman awards, which celebrate initiatives advancing women’s contributions to the industry. The conference “Investment, Climate Action and Women’s Empowerment: Global Road Map 2030” will open the agenda.
The first session, Tourism as an engine of empowerment, will address financial inclusion and improved access to education, alongside digital, technical and business training as foundations for entrepreneurship and better employment opportunities. It will also examine policies that support work-life balance and expand women’s presence in leadership roles.
The second block will focus on challenges such as job insecurity, the gender pay gap and the lack of female representation in decision-making. Discussions will consider how global crises continue to affect participation and employment patterns for women across the sector.
The final block, centred on maximising impact, will highlight best practices and policies that demonstrate the advantages of women’s leadership in driving sustainability and competitiveness. Experts are expected to emphasise investment in training, innovation and technology as key to closing the industry’s skills gap.
With this new edition, FITUR Woman reinforces its position as a key platform within the International Tourism Trade Fair and reaffirms its commitment to equality, leadership and progress in global tourism.
