Expourense, the exhibition centre of Ourense, once again attended FITUR Madrid to present its two international tourism fairs: Termatalia (September 24–25) and Xantar (November 19–22).

These are two of the six international tourism fairs officially recognized by the Government of Spain (alongside FITUR, INTUR Valladolid, B-Travel Barcelona, and TIS Sevilla), as published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) earlier today.

As is customary, the Galicia Tourism stand hosted the joint presentation of both events, led by the General Manager of Expourense, Rogelio Martínez. He was joined by representatives from the sectors involved in each fair, highlighting the support of the various public administrations for the trade fair and sports activities organized by Expourense, as well as the importance of Ibero-American cooperation across all of its projects.

In this presentation, the General Manager of Expourense was joined by María José Gómez, Regional Minister for Rural Affairs of the Regional Government of Galicia; Ana María Rojas, Secretary of Tourism and International Relations of the Government of Boyacá, Colombia; and Rosendo Fernández, Deputy for Tourism and Thermalism of the Provincial Council of Ourense and President of INORDE.

Rogelio Martínez highlighted that: “Expourense is the only exhibition centre that organizes two of the six international tourism fairs to be held in Spain in 2026. This helps position us as a venue that develops unique projects showcasing Galicia’s strengths and endogenous resources. Through Termatalia, we promote thermal and health tourism, a sector in which our region is the national leader in Spain. Through Xantar, we showcase our food, wine and gastronomic heritage, which is the second main reason why tourists choose Galicia as a destination.”

In addition to presenting the upcoming editions of Termatalia and Xantar, the General Manager of Expourense also highlighted the promotion of sports tourism carried out at the venue through its indoor athletics track, one of the finest in Europe. From March 6 to 8, it will host the VIRTUS 2026 World Indoor Athletics Championships (Short Track).
Expourense also contributes to promoting Galicia as a sports tourism destination through the approximately 30 competitions held annually on this track, as well as by organizing events directly related to the sector, such as Sportur Galicia – Sports and Active Tourism Fair and the International Congress on Tourism and Sport.

TERMATALIA

Termatalia 2026, the International Thermal Tourism, Health and Wellness Fair, is launching the international promotion of its 24th edition at FITUR Madrid. The event will take place in Ourense on September 24 and 25.

It will be the first international tourism fair of the year organized by Expourense (the venue will also host Funergal, another international event, in May). Following its sixth edition in the Americas, held in Colombia, Termatalia returns this year to its European home in Ourense, the thermal capital.

This edition will feature the active participation of the countries bidding to host Termatalia 2027, which will once again be held outside Spain. To date, La Fortuna, Costa Rica, has officially submitted its candidacy, although the application period will remain open until September.

Termatalia 2026 once again positions itself as an outstanding opportunity for destinations to strengthen their profile in the international health and wellness tourism market, as demonstrated by Colombia, the most recent host country. According to the organizers, it was “a spectacular edition, the best ever held in the Americas, thanks to the high level of participation and the extraordinary commitment of the local hosts.”

This assessment is supported by the event’s participation figures and the strong engagement with its training programme, which featured 55 experts from 13 countries, attracted 2,000 in-person visitors, and generated 24,900 livestream views of the 6th International Congress on Water and Health.

The hosts of Termatalia Colombia 2025 (Fontur, Cotelco, the Government of Boyacá, and the Municipality of Paipa) expressed their satisfaction with the results achieved and thanked Termatalia for becoming an international platform for promoting Colombia’s thermal tourism, and particularly that of Boyacá and Paipa.
The Secretary of Tourism of Boyacá, Ana María Rojas, stated that the event marked “a turning point in the development of our thermal tourism as an economic driver. The fair became an outstanding international platform for promoting Colombia’s thermal tourism, and especially that of Boyacá and Paipa. By hosting this event, Colombia has reaffirmed its commitment to health tourism, with the goal of securing a prominent place among the world’s leading thermal tourism destinations.”

For his part, the Mayor of Paipa, Germán Ricardo Camacho, stated at the time that “this fair is a catalyst for the development of the region’s thermal tourism.” He also stressed the need to expand the use of thermal waters beyond recreation by incorporating their health and therapeutic applications, as is common practice in Europe.
“We need to learn from those who have already done it successfully. Thermal waters are Paipa’s main tourism asset, so hosting Termatalia represents a golden opportunity for the municipality—one that we are determined not to miss from now on.”

Termatalia 2026 will once again provide an outstanding opportunity for destinations to strengthen their position in the health and wellness tourism market and to promote it as a year-round, sustainable tourism product with significant economic impact.

The event’s professional programme will focus on promoting research in thermalism and balneology, while encouraging the development of tourism products linked to the thermal and wellness sector.

As usual, Termatalia Ourense 2026 will revolve around its three core pillars: training, business, and networking.

• Professional training through the 7th International Congress on Water and Health, featuring some of the world’s leading experts in the field.
• El negocio, con una nueva edición del Workshop especializado en Turismo de Salud con touroperadores internacionales. Se organizará también la Cata Internacional de Aguas que cumple ya 21 ediciones.

• Y, por último, el “capital relacional” que supone cada año la celebración de la feria, sea en Ourense o en América Latina. Se trata de una cita que reúne a profesionales de 25 países y que es ya un lugar de encuentro de la familia termal internacional.

XANTAR

Xantar, the International Gastronomic Tourism Fair, will take place from November 19 to 22, in the heart of Galicia’s autumn gastronomic season and during a month rich in festivals, tradition, and cuisine in the province of Ourense with the celebration of the Magosto.

With 27 years of experience, Xantar has been promoting the quality of Galicia’s agricultural and seafood products, the professionalism of its hospitality sector, and the key role that food and wine tourism plays in attracting visitors to Galicia.

Xantar is held in Ourense, the gateway to Galicia and the arrival point of Spain’s high-speed rail network, located just two hours from Madrid and five hours from Spain’s eastern Mediterranean coast. Its proximity makes it easily accessible to visitors from almost the entire Iberian Peninsula.

The activities planned for Xantar 2026, focused on bringing together local products and their territories of origin, will once again promote the “Galicia Calidade” (Galicia Quality) brand as a benchmark for food and wine tourism.

As one of the longest-running trade fairs in Spain, Xantar remains the country’s only international tourism fair dedicated exclusively to gastronomic tourism. It is an essential meeting point for tourism and hospitality professionals, as well as for visitors wishing to experience the outstanding quality of Galicia’s agricultural produce and seafood.
Xantar also helps strengthen the link between tourism and gastronomy as key drivers of rural development in Galicia, supporting the agri-food sector, helping to retain population in rural areas, and contributing to their continued growth and prosperity.

The General Manager of Expourense emphasized that:

“Beyond being a tourism attraction, gastronomy is culture, tradition, and innovation. Xantar is the place where destinations, chefs, producers, and institutions come together to transform cuisine into an authentic, locally rooted tourism experience.”

During the presentation, Martínez also highlighted that:

“Xantar is a public-private partnership project. We are deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our founding partners: the Regional Government of Galicia and the Provincial Council of Ourense. We also thank other provincial councils, such as Lugo and Pontevedra, as well as Turismo Porto e Norte de Portugal, all of whom have become regular collaborators. We must not forget the companies either—this fair is supported by leading names in the agri-food and services sectors, including Coren, Gadis, Grupo Cuevas, Hijos de Rivera, Bricocentro, and RENFE, among others.”