The Tourism Department has already designed its calendar of tourism exhibitions for the first quarter of the year, marking a strategy that combines promotion in traditional markets with the opening of new key markets in order to maintain current occupancy levels and also to de-seasonalise the tourist season.
The calendar kicks off in January, from the 15th to the 18th, with the Matka 2026 Exhibition in Helsinki, a exhibition at which Calpe will have a significant presence and at which the municipality is scheduled to make a presentation as part of a cycle dedicated to the Costa Blanca. It is the most important international exhibition not only in Finland, but in all the Nordic countries. The number of visitors increases substantially each year and in 2025 there were more than 56,000 visitors.
The Tourism Department will also be present at Fitur from 21 to 25 January. The Madrid Exhibition is a traditional event at which Calpe presents the latest developments for the tourist season.
From 14 to 16 February, Calpe is scheduled to participate in Fiets en Wandelbeurs, the trade exhibition in Utrecht, which is a very important market for Calpe, promoting cycle tourism, hiking and the attractions of the municipality as a healthy destination. It is a market with a very specific objective and a high return on investment.
And from 20 to 22 February, Calpe will be at Ferie for Alle Herning 2026. The aim is to delve into the rapidly growing Danish tourism market, and this generalist exhibition also allows us to showcase the diversity of the municipality. Various workshops are planned with wholesale companies within MCH Travel Connect, a free professional meeting on the day before the exhibition opens, which is an excellent opportunity to optimise commercial contacts, strengthen collaborations and generate new business opportunities.
And in March, the unmissable tourism event is ITB Berlin, which takes place from 3 to 5 March and this year celebrates its 60th edition. This is one of the world's major tourism events and a business platform for global tourism: countries, cities and regions, tour operators, online booking portals and hotels, and many other service providers from more than 180 countries present their products and services there.
Calpe's aim at the Berlin Exhibition is to increase its visibility and prestige as a destination among a diverse international audience. To capture the attention and interest of potential customers, partners and the media for advertising campaigns in Germany.
Marco Bitnner, Councillor for International Promotion, pointed out that "this calendar of international exhibitions reflects our commitment to tourism that seeks excellence, not volume. Calpe should be recognised as a healthy place, both for those who visit us and for those who live here all year round.
We are committed to the sustainability that comes with de-seasonalisation and the prosperity generated by the diversification of our audience. We seek respectful visitors who value what we are: a destination where nature, indigenous culture and well-being coexist. The idea of a Calpe that looks to the future without losing its essence, that grows without losing quality of life, and that welcomes those who share our values with hospitality".