Arona Mayor Assumes Leadership of Sun and Beach Tourism Alliance
Fátima Lemes, the Mayor of Arona in Tenerife, has taken on the presidency of the Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities (AMT). She succeeds Adriá Lamelas, the Mayor of Lloret de Mar, with a clear objective to continue championing the interests of these eight pioneering Spanish destinations. Her leadership will focus on advancing the goals of Spain’s Tourism 2030 Strategy, developing smart destinations, and promoting the Blue Tourism model.
New Leadership and Strategic Vision
The transition occurred during the alliance’s annual assembly, held at the Hotel Mediterranean Palace in Arona. Mayor Lemes will be supported in her new role by Margarita del Cid, Mayor of Torremolinos, as Vice President, and Marco Aurelio Pérez, Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, as Secretary. In her address, Lemes expressed gratitude for the work of her predecessor and acknowledged the “challenge and commitment” of her new position. She emphasized the shared goal of increasing the alliance’s visibility and securing fair funding that reflects the significant contribution these municipalities make to the country’s tourism activity.
Key Priorities for 2026 and Beyond
During the meeting, representatives from the eight AMT municipalities reviewed the achievements of 2025 and laid out strategic lines for the upcoming period. A central initiative involves advancing a potential agreement with the State Secretariat for Tourism (SETUR) to commission a technical report on Blue Tourism and coastal preservation within the Spanish tourism framework. The alliance also plans to formally present its contributions to the Spain Tourism 2030 Strategy.
Key demands from the alliance for this new national strategy include the formal recognition of tourist destinations and supporting the transformation of mature destinations to adapt to the current market context. The mayors also debated the unique challenges faced by these leading coastal towns, focusing on how to guarantee an excellent quality of life for residents while simultaneously adapting their tourism offerings to meet new sustainability and digitalization objectives.
International Presence and Founding Principles
Looking outward, the alliance members agreed on plans for their international participation and profile at major events such as FITUR 2026 and other international fairs and forums. Founded in 2017, the Sun and Beach Tourism Alliance was initiated by eight pioneering Spanish destinations: Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and Torremolinos. Its core mission is to address issues affecting municipal funding and to foster a commitment to sector-wide digitalization, sustainability, accessibility, and cooperation between destinations.
