Cuba to Showcase Culture, Ecotourism and MICE at FITUR 2026

Cuba will bring a large, 247 m² pavilion to FITUR 2026 at IFEMA in Madrid, positioning the island as more than a sun-and-beach destination and pushing a diversified tourism agenda that includes culture, ecotourism, nautical tourism, agrotourism, heritage cities and health tourism. The show runs January 21-25, and the Cuban stand will be inaugurated on January 21 by the tourism minister, marking a formal push to attract Spanish buyers and event planners.

Organizers stress that the FITUR presence aims to increase MICE - meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions - business alongside traditional leisure markets. The pavilion will promote the island as a multi-destination product and showcase the year’s event calendar to tour operators and meeting planners. Cultural ambassadorship is part of the program, with high-profile figures such as wrestler Mijaín López and musician Isaac Delgado participating in pavilion activities, and regional promotions tied to well-known resort areas including Varadero scheduled during the fair.

Cuba is also leaning into technology to make connections that survive the show floor. The delegation will use the Liveconnect platform to engage buyers and media, a step toward scheduling meetings, sharing digital assets and maintaining follow-up after FITUR closes. That technology focus supports the island’s stated objective of market diversification and faster engagement with European partners.

For the local tourism community the FITUR push has immediate practical value. If you run a casa particular, a small ecotour operator, a marina, or manage a convention venue, expect increased contact from Spanish agencies seeking product for cultural and MICE travel. Health tourism and agrotourism promotions offer new revenue windows outside peak sun-and-beach demand, while nautical and heritage-city pitches can help rebalance flows across provinces. Spanish tour operators and venue buyers attending IFEMA will have focused offers and a single Cuban pavilion to evaluate multi-destination packages.

Strengthening ties with Spanish partners could mean more joint promotions, familiarization trips and possibly expanded charter and scheduled services if demand follows. For Cuban suppliers, the practical next step is preparing clear, sellable packages and digital materials that can be shared via Liveconnect and follow-up meetings after the fair.

The Cuban pavilion at FITUR is a deliberate effort to broaden the island’s tourism brand and to convert contacts into off-season bookings and MICE contracts. What comes next is the follow-up: converting inquiries made at IFEMA into firm bookings and partnerships that spread tourist traffic beyond traditional hotspots and sustain businesses year-round.