Through its programme, FITUR Talent 2025 demonstrates its commitment to talent as the key to the future of the tourism industry

FITUR Talent is holding its sixth edition on Thursday 23 January in Hall 10 of IFEMA MADRID. The section organised by FITUR in collaboration with media company EDUCACIÓN 3.0, is taking place under the slogan 'How to attract and retain talent in the tourism industry. Best practices and success stories' a full programme with HR experts, representatives of academic institutions, companies and industry leaders. 

With HR Digital as media partner, FITUR Talent will be offering a space for debate and inspiration focused on practical solutions adapted to the needs of the sector, with a firm focus on people, talent, training and professional training. In this regard, with the sponsorship and participation of leading companies and organisations that will also be sharing their success stories, innovative strategies will be analysed, highlighting the role of technology, professional training and personalised organisational policies.

Full Programme - FITUR Talent 2025, Hall 10

11.00am - 11.30am THTES 2025: bridging the Skills & Knowledge Gaps in Africa's Travel, Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Zambia Institute for Tourism and Hospitality Studies

Participating: Ms. Mulemwa Moongwa

 

This session will explore collaboration opportunities for educators and employers in Latin America and Africa. In addition, the upcoming tourism education summit in Zambia will be presented, with a focus on the importance of human capital in tourism development on the continent.

11.40am - 12.15pm Creamos Oportunidades en Hostelería en Turismo (We Create Opportunities in Hospitality and Tourism). Fundación Mahou San Miguel.

Participating: Isabel Ponce Velasco, Project Coordinator at Fundación Mahou San Miguel

The presentation will show the Fundación Mahou San Miguel programme 'We Create Opportunities' in Hospitality and Tourism, which facilitates the training of talented young people to convert them into the hospitality professionals of tomorrow.

12.20pm - 12.50pm New Age Talent. Turistec.

Participants: Bartolomé Deyà Tortella, professor at the Faculty of Tourism of the University of the Balearic Islands, Jaume Monserrat Quintana, president of Turistec and Mireia Faugier Santaularia, CEO of DirectBeds.

The experts will highlight the role of technology as a transversal tool in all tourism activity, as well as a necessary and essential catalyst. They will be presenting elements such as AI that are reshaping ways of working and business models to achieve an even greater level of integration between talent and business.

1.00pm - 1.30pm Shaping the Future of Hospitality: The Next GM Spain 2025. Les Roches

Participants: Rubén Marín Nicolás, chairman of AEDH Talento Joven (the Spanish Association of Hotel Managers (AEDH) Young Talent Programme); Nacho González Vázquez, national vice-chairman of AEDH Talento Joven and Guillermo Suárez, postgraduate regional executive of Les Roches

This presentation will be introducing an initiative designed to identify and develop the next generation of leaders in the hotel industry in Spain, through a strategic collaboration between AEDH and Les Roches. The presentation will highlight the key phases of the programme and underline the importance of collaboration between industry, academia and key institutions in the tourism industry.

 

1.35pm - 2.05pm Escucha y Conecta: personalización y compromiso en la fidelización del talento (Listen and Connect: personalisation and commitment in talent engagement)

Gehocan. Participants: Montse Pereira, director of People and CSR at Grupo Valora; Sonia Martínez, president of GEHOCAN and HR Director at Gloria Thalasso & Hotels; Daniel Padrón, HR director at INCABE, Heineken Canary Islands and María Isabel Almandoz, director of People, Talent and Culture at Canarian Hospitality.

At this roundtable, experts will discuss and offer their vision on how talent management in the tourism industry depends on the internal practices implemented by each organisation to improve listening, connecting and engagement across their teams.

4.00pm - 4.30pm La nueva era del talento, ¿cambio o revolución? (The new era of talent, change or revolution?)

Participating: Mireia Faugier Santaularia, professor at the Faculty of Tourism of the UIB

The presentation analyses whether the transformation of talent is a change or a revolution, highlighting digitalisation, ongoing training and the connection with new generations as the keys to attracting and retaining professionals in an evolving work environment.

4.40pm - 5.10pm Generando competitividad en el sector enoturismo a través de la formación profesionalizadora. (Generating competitiveness in the wine tourism sector through professional training) Escola d'Enoturisme de Catalunya. Participants: Begoña Fernández Benítez, Tourism Coordinator at the Escola d'Enoturisme de Catalunya and Gerard Domingo Blanch, director of the Escola d'Enoturisme de Catalunya.

 

The presentation will be addressing how professional training can become a key pillar to boost competitiveness in the wine tourism market.