Context: what was at stake for the Canary Islands at FITUR 2025
The Canary Islands arrived at FITUR 2025 at a strategic moment: the archipelago closed 2024 with an average spend per tourist of €1,416, up 26% on 2019, and tourism revenue of €24 billion. But the objective was no longer simply to attract more visitors — it was to attract the right visitor: one who values natural and cultural preservation, and whose spending benefits the Canarian society as a whole.
That strategic nuance had to be communicated by the stand.
FITUR is a fair with more than 800 exhibitors from 152 countries. In that context, the presence of an autonomous community is not just competing for attention — it is competing for destination positioning. The stand is not decoration; it is the opening argument of a tourism strategy.
The brief: what we were asked to deliver
The Government of the Canary Islands gave us a brief with several simultaneous requirements that do not always point in the same direction:
More space, more functionality. The previous stand covered 1,545 m². The new one had to grow to 1,768 m² and address four distinct needs: B2B meetings, institutional conferences, media relations and activities for the general public over the weekend.
Measurable sustainability. Not as a claim, but with data. The Canary Islands’ commitment to reducing its carbon footprint is publicly tracked: the previous edition had closed at 46.3 kg of CO₂e per square metre. That figure had to come down.
Destination identity. The stand had to convey the values of the archipelago without falling back on the usual visual clichés of sun-and-beach tourism. The Canaries wanted to speak about orography, wind, light and living culture.
Record timescales and extraordinary circumstances. In October 2024, the DANA storm flooded our facilities in Valencia. The FITUR build was only weeks away. The brief did not change. Neither did the deadlines.
Design decisions: the reasoning behind each element
The canopy as a narrative element. A canopy of sustainably sourced natural poplar evoking the volcanic orography of the archipelago. The decision to use this material was not purely aesthetic: certified poplar allows the manufacturing footprint to be offset through reforestation, aligning directly with the client’s CO₂e reduction commitment. A canopy that justifies its own environmental impact.
The LED tubes and movement. The trade winds are part of the climatic and cultural identity of the Canary Islands. Translating them into dynamic aerial elements with simulated movement solved a concrete problem: how to make a 1,768 m² stand feel alive from any angle in the hall. Moving light captures peripheral attention before the visitor has consciously decided to approach.
The portal-shaped video wall. The central position and threshold form are not accidental: they invite the visitor to pass through, turning the entry into the stand into a symbolic transition. Images of the islands with simulated changes in light throughout the day reinforce the message of an experiential destination, not a catalogue one.
The living wall with 200 native plants. Biophilic design in exhibition spaces has a documented effect on perceived quality and visitor retention. But here it also served a narrative function: the Canarian species on the wall were ambassadors of the destination in their own right.
Furniture made from recycled marine plastic. Sourced from fishing nets and marine waste, this material connects directly with the destination’s circular economy. It is not an alternative material — it is a tactile communication argument: the visitor sits on something that came from the Canarian sea.
Technical and constructive solution
Total surface area: 1,768 m², the largest stand in its hall at IFEMA.
Footprint reduction: 39.8 kg of CO₂e per square metre, 16% less than the previous edition. Total emissions came to 70.52 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent, 660 kg less than in 2024.
Transport volume reduction: 22% less than the previous stand, thanks to the design of dismountable and stackable components.
Planned reuse: For subsequent builds (WTM London, ITB Berlin), the design allows for close to 90% material reuse.
Functional areas:
- Auditorium for 120 people (4 times the 2024 capacity)
- 16 media interview tables (64 people simultaneously)
- Tasting area and oenogastronomic activations
- B2B meeting spaces for companies and island councils
- Weekend transformation area for the general public
Execution: delivering after a flood
In October 2024, the DANA storm that hit the province of Valencia completely flooded our facilities. Under normal circumstances, that kind of setback would have compromised any project of this scale.
That was not the case.
The TARS Design team worked under extraordinary conditions to meet the deadlines without reducing standards. The Canarian Government’s Minister for Employment and Tourism, Jéssica de León, mentioned it explicitly when collecting the award: the resilience of the Valencian team was part of the value delivered.
This is not an anecdotal detail. For any company evaluating an exhibition space provider, the capacity to respond to unforeseen events is just as relevant as the quality of the design. Problems with logistics, production or transport are not exceptions in the trade fair sector — they are a constant. What differentiates one provider from another is what they do when those problems arise.
Results
Best stand award at FITUR 2025, Institutions and Autonomous Communities category, among 806 exhibitors from 152 countries. Alongside Cantabria and the Basque Country, the Canary Islands was one of three spaces to receive the award.
375 Canarian companies represented at the stand, 23 more than in 2024.
1,315 sector professionals accredited, 143 more than the previous year.
Public recognition from the Tourism Minister in an official press release, expressly naming TARS Design as responsible for the result.
Project replicability: the same concept was adapted for WTM London and ITB Berlin 2025, validating the viability of the modular design across different international trade fair contexts.
What we learned: three principles for any stand at a tourism fair
Sustainability only works as an argument if it is verifiable. CO₂e data per square metre is not a technical indulgence — it is the difference between a promise and evidence. In sectors where destination image depends on environmental credibility, the stand has to back that message with materials and metrics, not good intentions.
An institutional tourism stand is, above all, a setting for relationships. Expanding the auditorium from 30 to 120 people and the media zone to 16 interview stations responded to a real need: at FITUR, relationships are built in person, not in brochures. The space design has to facilitate those conversations, not just impress those passing by.
Modularity is not a cost-saving measure — it is a competitive advantage. Designing for 90% material reuse at subsequent fairs did not reduce the quality of the result. What it did do was make the project viable at international scale, allowing the same brand identity to be taken to WTM London and ITB Berlin without starting from scratch.
Shall we talk?
Do you have a similar brief? If you represent a tourism destination, an institution or a brand that needs an exhibition space that communicates consistently across several international trade fairs, let’s talk.
