Hotelga 2026 Opens at La Rural
Hotelga 2026 opened on Wednesday 2 September at the La Rural Predio Ferial in Buenos Aires. More than 200 exhibiting brands occupied the halls. FEHGRA, the AHT and Messe Frankfurt Argentina organise the fair. The programme runs until Friday 4 September.
The opening day carried an agenda on the political and economic outlook for hotels and restaurants. National, provincial and sector authorities attended the inaugural act.
National Officials Open the Fair
Karina Milei, Secretary General of the Presidency, toured the exhibition and met hotel and restaurant operators. Diego Santilli, Chief of Staff of the Nation, addressed the opening. Daniel Scioli, Secretary of Tourism, Environment and Sports, attended. So did Hernán Lombardi, Minister of Economic Development of the City of Buenos Aires.
Santilli told the audience that the sector knows how to create work and added value, and that the government would keep working to hold the country’s direction. Scioli reviewed the international sporting events Argentina hosts and said they help break seasonality. “We are bringing more and more tourists, and revaluing the country,” he said. “Hotelga is a key space where the whole strength of the hotel and restaurant industry is shown.”
Prieto and Ferrucci Set the Sector’s Terms
Daniel Prieto, president of FEHGRA, said the fair aims to be an accurate picture of where the sector stands and where it is going. He described the hotel and restaurant trade as a federal branch of the economy and one intensive in labour.
Gabriela Ferrucci, president of the AHT, said the agenda that opened with the political and economic outlook would continue the next day with a Latin American perspective. Entities from Argentina, Paraguay, Peru, Colombia, Chile and Uruguay take part.
Ferrucci also said the HOTELES MAS VERDES programme is one of 85 environmental certifications listed in TRAVALYST. From 27 September, she said, the programme allows compliance with European rules for hosting European Union residents.
Fernando Gorbarán, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt Argentina, said an event of this kind strengthens the value chain of the trade.
Governors Put Connectivity on the Agenda
The Hotelga Summit held a Foro de Gobernadores with Raúl Jalil of Catamarca, Jorge Macri of the City of Buenos Aires and Alfredo Cornejo of Mendoza. The three agreed on the value of more international flights and more frequent connections within the country. They also called for new markets and new tourism offers. “Today people travel for the experience, and culture and gastronomy are fundamental,” they said.
Economic and Political Panels
Economists Osvaldo Giordano, Antonio Aracre and Matías Kulfas took part in a panel on the economic outlook for hotels and restaurants. Ramón Indart moderated it. The journalist Luciana Geuna and the public-opinion specialist Mora Jozami debated the political outlook for the sector.
The AHRCC, Visit Buenos Aires and the City Tourism Board ran a programme of talks on restaurant trade issues in the Buenos Aires Foodie space.
Competitions Open on Day One
The Gran Final of the Torneo Federal de Chefs began with 30 finalist teams from across the country. The winners are announced on Friday.
The Campeonato Mundial de la Pizza y la Empanada, organised by APYCE, opened with the definition of its 12 categories. The winner of the 2026 pizza championship receives a trip to Parma to compete at the 2027 world championship. The participant with the best average in the Muzzarella and Fugazzeta Argentina categories travels to the sixth Spanish Gourmet Pizza Championship in Madrid in 2027.
Thursday’s Programme
The Gran Final of the Concurso de Hotelería Sustentable names its winners on Thursday. The competition covers tourist accommodation and student proposals that apply sustainability principles to the hotel value chain. One finalist competes for each participating country: Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and Paraguay.
A forum of hotel associations from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay takes place the same day.
Spaces Across the Three Days
The 2026 edition runs with new spaces alongside its programme of talks and conferences. They include the Hub Tecnológico, the Espacio Vinos de Argentina, the Plaza Cervecera, the Espacio Vermut and Hotelga ArDesign.
The opening day put a compliance date in front of hotels that host European group travellers. Group programmes that cross borders depend on the flight connections the Foro de Gobernadores covered. The association forum on Thursday brings the counterpart contacts to Buenos Aires.