Home » TRAVEL EVENT NEWS » Madrid Sets the Stage for the Ultimate Showdown: AI for Tourism Awards 2026 to Crown the Pioneers Revolutionizing Travel with Cutting-Edge Technology! Published on
December 4, 2025FITUR and SEGITTUR have officially unveiled the third edition of the AI for Tourism Awards 2026, set to take place at the renowned FITUR event in Madrid. This award aims to spotlight and celebrate the most innovative artificial intelligence (AI)-driven solutions within the tourism sector. As the industry embraces AI’s transformative role, the awards are designed to recognize businesses and destinations that are leading the charge in enhancing the travel experience through technological advancements.The AI for Tourism Awards 2026 will be held within the FITUR Know-How & Export area, a key feature of the FITUR trade fair. This year, the event will be hosted at the newly introduced Knowledge Hub in Hall 12 of the Trade Fair Centre, reflecting the growing importance of AI in revolutionizing the tourism landscape. The 2026 edition of the awards underscores the significant role AI now plays in personalising travel, streamlining booking processes, improving customer service, and optimising operational models.Advertisement The Growing Influence of AI in TourismAI has firmly integrated itself into various aspects of the tourism industry, from enhancing booking platforms to providing real-time customer service via chatbots. Its ability to offer highly tailored recommendations and streamline travel experiences has resulted in a surge of AI-powered solutions being adopted by airlines, hotels, travel agencies, and destinations alike. From facial recognition systems at airports to multilingual translation tools that break language barriers, AI’s presence in tourism is both pervasive and transformative.The AI for Tourism Awards 2026 seeks to identify and reward the most successful implementations of AI solutions in the tourism sector. By doing so, the initiative aims to inspire further innovation and demonstrate the growing value of AI for destinations, tourism companies, and travelers around the world.Award Category and Evaluation CriteriaAdvertisement For the 2026 edition, there is a singular award category: Best AI Solution 2026. The category is open to a wide range of tourism entities, including large hotel groups, airlines, travel agencies, and tech providers, as well as destinations that have successfully incorporated AI into their operations or visitor services. The submission deadline for applications is 15 December 2025, with the awards ceremony scheduled for Thursday, 22 January 2026.The judging panel for the awards will be led by SEGITTUR, Spain’s national tourism technology body, and will include a mix of experts from the tourism and technology sectors. The panel will evaluate submissions based on several key criteria:Technological Innovation: The originality and ingenuity behind the AI solution.Usability and Clarity of Implementation: How easily the AI solution can be deployed and used by its target audience.Enhancement of the User Experience: The impact of the AI …
