Spain’s tourism-promotion agency Turespaña opened its 2026 ‘Jornadas Inversas Europa – Slow Travel’ in Pamplona on 14 September, bringing together 70 Spanish destination-marketing bodies and 75 European tour-operator buyers. Running until 18 September, the B2B forum focuses on nature, rural and premium cultural experiences—segments viewed as less vulnerable to mass-tourism backlash and climate-related disruptions. For corporate-mobility planners, the event signals Spain’s strategic pivot toward longer-stay, lower-carbon travel, which dovetails with many companies’ ESG-driven travel-policy revisions. Navarra’s regional government showcased rail-based itineraries that link Madrid and Barcelona with secondary cities, positioning them as alternatives to short-haul flights. Hotel chains used the sidelines to pitch “work-from-anywhere” packages compatible with Spain’s digital-nomad visa, integrating co-working passes and day-care services for expatriate families—a sign that leisure and extended business travel are merging. European buyers, representing Germany, France, the UK and Nordic markets, praised Spain’s effort to diversify beyond sun-and-beach products. According to Turespaña, European tourists still account for more than 80 % of arrivals and nearly three-quarters of spend, making the continent a linchpin of post-pandemic recovery plans. Spanish exhibitors expect the meetings to generate over €45 million in contracts, underlining the growing weight of experiential travel in corporate incentive programmes.
Source: Profesional Andalucía
