The Albufeira delegation was led by Mayor Rui Cristina, who pointed out the “enormous importance of working together with neighbouring municipalities and creating synergies for regional development.”

FITUR is the leading international tourism fair, now in its 46th edition. The event brings together top industry professionals, companies, and international destinations, offering a space to network, launch projects, and explore the latest tourism trends.

With a focus on sustainability, innovation, and digitalisation, FITUR shapes the future of the sector through workshops, business opportunities, and high-level networking. Over the weekend, the fair opens to the public, who can discover destinations, join interactive experiences, and learn about global tourism offerings.

One of the world’s biggest tourism fairs, drawing tens of thousands of visitors every year. This year, several Portuguese municipalities took part, including a joint effort from the Algarve region. Albufeira, Alcoutim, Aljezur, Lagoa, Lagos, Loulé, Olhão, Portimão, and Tavira all joined forces to promote the region, with support from the Albufeira Promotion Agency (APAL). The collaboration demonstrated the Algarve’s commitment to working together to promote its tourism on the international stage.

The municipalities involved in the initiative allocated a space of almost 60 m² in Madrid, where they promoted the region in an unprecedented way. With a focus on building a common brand, the initiative's main objective was to reinforce the strategy of creating and leveraging economies of scale, consequently boosting tourism's contribution to regional GDP.

It is worth noting that the tourism sector plays a central role in regional development, contributing more than 30% of the region's wealth. In recent years, the number of visitors from Spain has increased significantly, with the Spanish market ranking among the top five sources of tourists to the region.

Albufeira is one of the Algarve’s leading municipalities. Throughout the fair, Mayor Rui Cristina met with tourism professionals and local associations and spoke with international media to highlight the city’s attractions. The delegation also included Tourism Councillor Cristina Corado and Municipal Assembly President Luna Silva.

In a year when sports occupy an important place in the municipality's life, Albufeira's participation also included several promotional activities within the framework of the European City of Sport 2026. In addition to the promotional video presentation, a highlight was the performance by musician César Matoso. He is the voice of the official anthem “O Desporto Aqui Perdura” (Sport Lives Here). Composed by Carolina Leote with lyrics by writer Luísa Monteiro, the song celebrates the region’s spirit of unity, perseverance, and strong connection to sport.