FITUR 2026 Best Stand Awards have been officially announced, spotlighting the most outstanding stand designs and the strongest sustainability commitments at the International Tourism Trade Fair in Madrid.
During its third professional day, FITUR 2026, organized by IFEMA MADRID and held from 21 to 25 January, revealed the winners of the 46th Best Stand Awards and the 7th Sustainable Stand Awards. The recognitions celebrate excellence in architectural design, visual identity, visitor experience, functionality, and responsible participation across the global tourism industry.
Vincci Hotels claimed top honors for a stand built around creativity, emotion, and playful interaction. The design explores hospitality through bold visual storytelling, Op Art-inspired compositions, and carefully crafted spaces designed for visitor engagement and social sharing.
Melia Hotels International delivered a refined and understated presence that reflected its Mediterranean roots. An olive tree stood at the heart of the stand, beneath a large skylight that allowed natural light to shape the space. Ceramic latticework, earthy tones, natural landscaping, and translucent panels combined to create an atmosphere of serenity, beauty, and environmental awareness.
Alsa completed the Companies category winners with a stand defined by clarity and movement. A central corridor connected both sections of the space, while cantilevered canopies guided visitors through an imagined journey. A reinterpreted typeface and deep blue visual ceiling translated the brand identity into a physical experience with confidence and restraint.
Guatemala presented one of the most delicate and culturally rich stands at FITUR 2026. The design centered on four elements: wood, colorful textile threads, a pyramidal screen, and Mayan glyph imagery. Minimalist in structure yet rich in meaning, the stand reflected the country’s nature, craftsmanship, architecture, and ancestral traditions.
Abu Dhabi showcased luxury and heritage through refined finishes and subtle ethnic references. The stand recreated both an expansive oasis and an urban setting, blending soft carpeting, sand textures, latticework, dark wood accents, and green-toned furniture within modern, organic architectural forms.
Egypt brought its historical legacy to life through a stand inspired by Abu Simbel and the new Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Monumental installations anchored both the commercial and exhibition areas. Aswan stone featured prominently throughout, while luminous spaces evoked solar power, permanence, and the grandeur of ancient Egyptian civilization.
Castilla y Leon immersed visitors in a dramatic visual narrative inspired by a forthcoming solar eclipse in August 2026. Under the slogan “The sky has chosen us”, the stand recreated a mysterious night sky filled with planets, moons, and stars visible in daylight, placing visitors at the center of a rare celestial event.
Madrid captured attention with a monumental stand titled “Madrid Marca, the brand of Madrid”. The space combined iconic landmarks like the Santiago Bernabeu stadium with everyday city life, racing circuits, and urban infrastructure. Technology and tradition merged seamlessly, projecting a modern identity designed to remain relevant beyond passing trends.
Galicia closed the category with a poetic proposal centered on land, water, and rain. Moving images, mirrored surfaces, and continuous reflections of light and droplets created an ever-changing environment that expressed the region’s relationship with nature and its cultural pride.
Sustainability remains a central pillar of FITUR, and the Sustainable Stand Awards recognize exhibitors aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Galicia received recognition for innovation through the use of textile panels produced from more than 50,000 recycled plastic bottles, transforming waste into architectural material.
Cantabria was awarded for its “Inicia 2030” platform, developed to track sustainability objectives and measurable outcomes. The project also includes a dismantling protocol that avoids demolition and reduces environmental impact.
Grupo Pinero earned recognition for a comprehensive sustainability strategy that integrates environmental responsibility across all levels of its operations, including visitor engagement.
The Castelldefels City Council was honored for anchoring sustainability in cultural identity. Its stand design was inspired by the traditional beach bar, or chiringuito, which served as both an aesthetic reference and a source of reused materials for structural elements.
