FITUR LGTB+ 2027 will return to Madrid in January as an international meeting point for destinations, tourism businesses and professionals working on LGBT+ and inclusive travel. The programme will form part of FITUR, the International Tourism Trade Fair organised by IFEMA MADRID, from 20 to 24 January 2027.
Now in its 17th year, FITUR LGTB+ has developed into a dedicated forum for examining the growth of LGBT+ tourism and the changing expectations of travellers seeking destinations where diversity, equality and respect are part of the travel experience. The 2027 edition will combine professional content with B2B meetings designed to encourage business connections, examine market trends and share approaches to developing more inclusive tourism products.
The programme is being organised in collaboration with JN Global Project under the slogan “Connecting people, creating opportunities”. Its focus reflects the increasing attention being given to LGBT+ travellers by destinations, hotels, tour operators, tourism organisations and other businesses across the industry.
The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association (IGLTA) identifies LGBTQ+ travellers as an important tourism market, particularly because of their spending power and reported customer loyalty. The source material for FITUR LGTB+ also cites figures from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), estimating annual spending by this market at more than 180 billion euros, with the segment growing by 10.3% a year.
Those figures help explain why LGBT+ tourism has become part of wider discussions about destination development and tourism competitiveness. For destinations, the issue is not only how to attract travellers, but also how to create an environment in which visitors feel respected and able to participate fully in the destination’s tourism offering.
FITUR LGTB+ 2027 will therefore put destinations and companies that incorporate diversity into their tourism strategies in the spotlight. Discussions are expected to address changing consumer behaviour, new travel experiences and approaches to tourism management that respond to travellers who are increasingly informed about the values and practices of the places they visit.
The programme will bring together national and international destinations, tourism companies, hotel groups, tour operators, institutions and industry specialists. Alongside discussions about the challenges facing the market, the event will provide opportunities for participants to establish partnerships and explore new business relationships.
The section will also extend beyond the professional programme during the final weekend of FITUR. On Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 January, the B2B programme will open to the general public, with cultural activities, music and celebrations designed for visitors of different ages.
That public programme gives FITUR LGTB+ a wider role within the fair. Rather than focusing solely on meetings between tourism professionals, it will provide a space where the ideas of diversity and coexistence can be presented directly to visitors through cultural and leisure activities.
For FITUR, the return of the LGBT+ tourism programme is part of its broader effort to bring different areas of the tourism industry together under one international event. For the businesses and destinations taking part, FITUR LGTB+ provides a platform to discuss a market that has become increasingly relevant to destination marketing, tourism products and international travel.
The 2027 edition will once again place inclusive tourism within the wider conversation about how destinations respond to a more diverse travelling public, while giving tourism professionals a space to exchange ideas, develop commercial relationships and examine how the market is changing.
