January will mark a year since I participated in the 2025 International Tourism Fair (Fitur), so I am writing from firsthand experience and with the candor that the moment demands. This was a large event with high numbers: 255,000 attendees, which, for an international fair, is no small feat; it is a direct call to make serious decisions. The 2025 edition maintained its thematic sections, brought the issue of environmentally friendly cruises to the table, and focused much of the conversation on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in travel management, which, rather than being a rhetorical flourish, was the subject of panels, debates, and reflections that other countries followed with genuine interest, not just diplomatic courtesy.
Mexico, it must be said, understood the scale of the event. It presented the largest and most visually appealing pavilion at the entire fair, with the participation of 21 states and more than 90 companies; the business forums focused on sustainable and accessible tourism; and relevant agreements were signed with UN Tourism, Canapat, Ifema, and BBVA, all aimed at promoting tourism and responsible practices.
Some states understood the goal and worked toward it with discipline. Aguascalientes, Guanajuato, Tlaxcala, and Guerrero knew how to use the showcase. They brought a clear narrative, a defined offering, and the ability to engage in dialogue. Others, however, wasted time and resources on fruitless meetings, inflated agendas, and photographs for the archives. At a fair of this size, amateurism comes at a high price and takes its toll on the entire country. When a state fails, it doesn’t just affect itself: it reduces the national impact and weakens expectations for growth in visitor numbers.
In 2026, Mexico will be a partner country at Fitur, and this is not an institutional courtesy, it’s a major responsibility. This agreement will allow Mexico to showcase its cultural, natural, and gastronomic wealth within the IFEMA exhibition center, as well as in Madrid and other European cities.
The immediate future will demand order, focus, and measurable results. With Fitur 2026 and the FIFA World Cup on the calendar, Mexico will have the eyes of international tourism upon it. There will be no room for improvisation or for delegations that confuse presence with effectiveness. The states that in 2025 opted for meetings without content will have to correct themselves or be left behind because tourism does not grow with complacent speeches or social agendas; it grows with product, strategy, and execution capacity.
Mexico will arrive at 2026 with a clear opportunity.
Making the most of it will depend on understanding that these types of events do not reward good intentions, but rather real preparation, and that, like it or not, requires firm decisions.
