Ibiza’s message at this year’s World Travel Market, held in London from 3 to 5 November, was that there is more to the island than summer. Ibiza Town and San Antonio both arrived with new campaigns aimed at autumn and winter visitors, presented within the Ibiza island council’s stand. Meanwhile, the island’s hoteliers left the fair with a positive view of 2026 and a cautious one of 2027.
Hoteliers: a good season, an uncertain year ahead
The Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Federation (FEHIF) described this year’s season as positive overall. But it warned of two trends that make next year harder to plan: holidaymakers are booking later and later, and costs are rising, driven by fuel prices and inflation in both Spain and the UK. Visitors also have more destinations to choose from than ever.
The federation used the fair to meet British tour operators and travel buyers, and called the UK a key market for Ibiza and Formentera. The talks, attended by the Balearic Government and the island councils, covered how to set Ibiza apart from its competitors, how artificial intelligence is changing the way holidays are sold, sustainability and public transport. The federation also backed the island council’s Ibiza Family Moments campaign to attract families, and its president, María Costa, asked for it to continue.
Ibiza Town: “Know Ibiza? Now discover Eivissa”
Ibiza Town’s campaign plays on the two names of the island and its capital. It is aimed at people who have already been to Ibiza, or who think of it only as beaches and nightlife, and invites them to come back and explore the town at a slower pace, outside the high season. Its promotional video, set to the song “Viatjarem” by the Majorcan band Xanguito, is built around three things: culture, heritage and local food.
“Eivissa is much more than a summer destination. It is a city with history, a strong cultural identity, its own cuisine and a life that goes on twelve months a year,” said Rubén Sousa, the town’s councillor for tourism. He added that bringing visitors outside the summer has to go hand in hand with respect for the town’s identity and traditions.
The town also pitched itself as a venue for conferences, incentive trips, professional events and weddings, building on its hotels, its historic spaces and its mild climate. The aim is to spread tourism more evenly through the year, so that shops, restaurants and services benefit in the quieter months.
San Antonio: “A Place to Celebrate”, all year round
San Antonio started a day early. On the eve of the fair it presented its autumn and winter offer to 16 British journalists and content creators at a dinner in London, with a cooking class in traditional Ibizan dishes. The new stage of its campaign “A Place to Celebrate” is built on five ideas:
- Winter weather: mild temperatures through the colder months.
- Outdoor sport: hiking, trail running, cycling and water sports.
- Rural life: country wine (vi pagès) and traditional dance (ball pagès).
- Celebrations: Christmas, with the seafront lit up, and the patron saint’s festival on 17 January.
- Food: the matances, the traditional winter pig slaughter, and its rice dish, celebrated each February in the Concurs d’Arròs de Matances, a rice-cooking contest.
“San Antonio is much more than a summer destination, and we want the British market, one of the most important for us, to discover everything we can offer in autumn and winter,” said the mayor, Marcos Serra. During the fair, the council met journalists, tour operators and travel agents to promote, among other things, its Restaurat Sant Antoni food days and the Sant Mateu country wine festival.
