The Exhibition and Its Numbers
Hotelga 2026 ran from 2 to 4 September at La Rural Predio Ferial in Buenos Aires. FEHGRA, the Federación Empresaria Hotelera Gastronómica de la República Argentina, organised the exhibition with the Asociación de Hoteles de Turismo de la República Argentina and Messe Frankfurt Argentina.
The closing figures record more than 15,600 visitors, a rise of 21 per cent on the 2025 edition, more than 200 exhibiting brands, and a floor 40 per cent larger than earlier editions. More than 40 of the exhibiting companies took part for the first time.
FEHGRA represents more than 84,000 hotel and food service establishments through its provincial bodies.
Four Provinces Brought Their Own Supply
Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Mendoza, Córdoba and Neuquén each held an institutional stand. The organisers describe the stands as a showcase for local suppliers and projects.
For a destination management company or a tour operator sourcing Argentina, those four stands are the starting shortlist of provincial supply from the sector's own exhibition floor.
The Business Rounds and the Sector's Ask
Daniel Prieto, president of FEHGRA, spoke at the opening ceremony. He called the hotel and food service sector a branch of the economy that is profoundly federal and labour-intensive.
He said the edition exceeded expectations with 21 per cent more visitors, and that 90 per cent of attendees were professionals who took part in the business rounds.
He said the sector cannot grow unless the country orders its accounts and promotes private activity, and that the sector values the macroeconomic ordering the national government is pursuing.
He closed on what the sector asks for. Business owners in the sector will not ask for privileges, he said. They ask for attention, because the sector contributes to the national economy and to regional economies.
Group Product on the Programme
The Thursday programme carried the Gran Final del Concurso de Hotelería Sustentable, run by Hoteles más Verdes, with entries from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile. It carried a conversatorio on the present situation and the challenges facing tourism and hospitality in Latin America. It carried the new list of Restaurantes Icónicos de Buenos Aires, an initiative of the AHRCC with Visit Buenos Aires and the Ente de Turismo de la Ciudad.
Hotelga Summit ran panels moderated by the journalist Ramón Indart. The Foro de Gobernadores brought together Raúl Jalil of Catamarca, Jorge Macri of the Ciudad de Buenos Aires and Alfredo Cornejo of Mendoza. A second panel covered economic perspectives with Osvaldo Giordano, Antonio Aracre and Matías Kulfas.
The Competitions
The Gran Final del Torneo Federal de Chefs ran across the three days with 30 finalist teams cooking live. Sarasanegro of Mar del Plata took first place, Hotel Boutique Gualamba of Chaco second, and Design Suites Hotel of Calafate third.
Hotelga held the second Campeonato Mundial de la Pizza y la Empanada, organised by APYCE, across 12 categories. The winner of the pizza championship receives a trip to Parma for the 2027 world championship. Around 1,400 students attended with their training institutions.
Who Attended
Diego Santilli, Jefe de Gabinete de Ministros de la Nación; Daniel Scioli, Secretario de Turismo, Ambiente y Deportes de la Nación; and Hernán Lombardi, Ministro de Desarrollo Económico de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires took part in the opening ceremony. Karina Milei, Secretaria General de la Presidencia, toured the exhibition and met industry representatives.
Prieto was accompanied by Gabriela Ferrucci, president of the Asociación de Hoteles de Turismo, and Fernando Gorbarán, president and chief executive of Messe Frankfurt Argentina.