This is complemented by the inclusion of the Mexican Route as a new structured tourism product, the confirmation of Chiquinquirá as the host city for the next Religious Tourism Congress in Colombia, the institutional renewal of Guatemala through INGUAT, and the first-ever membership of the Spanish Tourism Office in Los Angeles, coordinated with Turespaña.
One of the most significant moments of the week will be the twinning act between San Luis Potosí, Mexico, and Seville, Spain, which symbolizes the Network’s commitment to creating long-term links between destinations connected through history, faith, and cultural heritage. However, the central highlight will be the public presentation of the Network’s new Certified Quality Seal, scheduled for Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. at the Canary Islands stand. Conceived as a tool for continuous improvement and differentiation, this new instrument will launch with a pilot project involving eight small municipalities in the Canary Islands, which will become a reference model for the future implementation of the seal in other territories.
In parallel, the agenda includes a broad schedule of meetings with new destinations and entities interested in joining the Network, as well as institutional engagements with representatives from strategically relevant countries such as Israel and Egypt, among others. These meetings reinforce the Network’s international dimension and its capacity to operate as a space for dialogue and cooperation among regions with strong religious and spiritual heritage.
In addition to activities within the FITUR venue, the World Religious Tourism Network will hold meetings and events outside the trade fair, including an institutional engagement in San Luis Potosí at 8:00 p.m., a meeting in Querétaro at 9:00 a.m. focused on the Orange Tourism Roundtable, and working sessions with the INGUAT team from Guatemala, representatives of Colombia’s Salt Cathedral, Boyacá, and Chiquinquirá, in preparation for future events. Meetings are also planned with destinations such as Guanajuato and Cartagena de Indias, among other cities that are already developing religious tourism actions aimed at local and sustainable development.
Public agenda of the World Religious Tourism Network at FITUR 2026
2026 FITUR AGENDA PUBLICA WRTN
Wednesday, January 21: 9:30 a.m., twinning act San Luis Potosí–Seville and certificate ceremony; 10:30 a.m., meeting with The Way to Jerusalem; 11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., presentation of the Certified Quality Seal and certificate deliveries at the Canary Islands stand; 1:30 p.m., certificate delivery to La Providencia (Argentina); 2:00 p.m., institutional meeting with Israel’s Ministry of Tourism; 4:30 p.m., professional recognition for the Network’s Director General at FITUR Tech; 5:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m., institutional meetings at the Córdoba City Council stand.
Thursday, January 22: 10:00 a.m., meeting and certificate delivery to Oviedo City Council; 10:30 a.m., certificate deliveries in Cantabria; 12:00 p.m., meeting and renewal for Cartagena de Indias; 12:30 p.m., membership certificate for the Spanish Tourism Office in Los Angeles (Turespaña); 1:00 p.m., certificate delivery to Euromarmara Tours (Turkey); 2:00 p.m., institutional membership certificate for Peru; 2:30 p.m., certificate delivery for Guanajuato’s Religious Tourism Route; 4:45 p.m., renewal certificate for INGUAT; 5:30 p.m., public presentation of Virgen de la Cabeza in Andújar.
Friday, January 23: 10:30 a.m., certificate delivery to eDreams; 11:00 a.m., memberships and renewals for Fátima-Ourém; 12:45 p.m., institutional certificate ceremony for Mexico; 2:00 p.m., meeting with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and institutional event of the Network of Jewish Quarters of Spain.
With this intensive program, the World Religious Tourism Network consolidates its role at FITUR as an international benchmark platform focused on cooperation, quality, and the sustainable development of destinations linked to religious and cultural tourism.The World Religious Tourism Network (WRTN) will present, on January 21, within the framework of FITUR 2026 to be held at IFEMA Madrid, the pilot project for its Quality Seal for Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage Destinations, an international initiative aimed at recognizing, organizing, and promoting territories with outstanding religious, cultural, and spiritual heritage. This launch represents a significant milestone in consolidating a specialized tourism model that is committed to authenticity, sustainability, and respect for the destinations’ identity values.
In this context, Tenerife Nordeste has been chosen as the first territory in the world to begin the implementation process for this seal, becoming a global benchmark for the development of this certification. The municipalities that make up this area, structured under the Tenerife Nordeste brand and coordinated through the CIT Nordeste de Tenerife, will jointly and simultaneously begin the certification process, setting a precedent due to its supramunicipal and collaborative approach.
