On 18 January Cádiz tourism officials confirmed that Jerez de la Frontera will receive the Spanish Capital of Gastronomy title at next week’s FITUR trade fair—an accolade expected to draw year-round culinary travellers.
The city, already famous for sherry and the May ‘Feria del Caballo’, plans more than 50 events—from barrel tastings to Michelin-star pop-ups—to convert day-trippers into longer-stay visitors. Hotels project a 7–10 % rise in mid-week occupancy, a boon for conference organisers who rely on shoulder-season room blocks.
![Jerez’s new status as Spanish Capital of Gastronomy 2026 set to boost off-season visitor flows]()
Before mapping out your sherry-inspired itinerary, remember that many visitors—including those from the U.S., Canada, Australia and much of Asia—still need to confirm their Schengen entry requirements. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines the process with step-by-step guidance, online applications and live support, ensuring food lovers and corporate delegates alike can focus on reservations rather than paperwork.
Airports Jerez (XRY) and Seville (SVQ) have both negotiated extra charter slots with tour operators from Germany and the UK, while Renfe is studying a sherry-trail rail pass. The destination’s enhanced profile dovetails with the Junta de Andalucía’s goal of dispersing tourist flows beyond the saturated Costa del Sol.
For global-mobility teams, the designation could influence short-term assignment locations and spur corporate off-sites: Jerez offers lower daily-allowance rates than Madrid or Barcelona yet delivers high incentive-programme appeal. Companies should book early, however, as flagship events such as the International Sherry Week (November) are already seeing record pre-registrations.
The city, already famous for sherry and the May ‘Feria del Caballo’, plans more than 50 events—from barrel tastings to Michelin-star pop-ups—to convert day-trippers into longer-stay visitors. Hotels project a 7–10 % rise in mid-week occupancy, a boon for conference organisers who rely on shoulder-season room blocks.
Before mapping out your sherry-inspired itinerary, remember that many visitors—including those from the U.S., Canada, Australia and much of Asia—still need to confirm their Schengen entry requirements. VisaHQ’s Spain portal (https://www.visahq.com/spain/) streamlines the process with step-by-step guidance, online applications and live support, ensuring food lovers and corporate delegates alike can focus on reservations rather than paperwork.
Airports Jerez (XRY) and Seville (SVQ) have both negotiated extra charter slots with tour operators from Germany and the UK, while Renfe is studying a sherry-trail rail pass. The destination’s enhanced profile dovetails with the Junta de Andalucía’s goal of dispersing tourist flows beyond the saturated Costa del Sol.
For global-mobility teams, the designation could influence short-term assignment locations and spur corporate off-sites: Jerez offers lower daily-allowance rates than Madrid or Barcelona yet delivers high incentive-programme appeal. Companies should book early, however, as flagship events such as the International Sherry Week (November) are already seeing record pre-registrations.
