The city of Málaga will assume tomorrow, Tuesday, June 16, the role of a major national forum on the future of tourism by hosting the Professional Conference of the II Edition of the Spain Travel Awards.
The event, which will take place at El Balneario - Baños del Carmen, will bring together prominent executives, companies, and institutional representatives from the tourism sector to analyze the operational challenges of a sector that represents 13% of Spain's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Furthermore, the meeting will serve as the stage for the official announcement of the nominees for the awards corresponding to the year 2026.
This emblematic enclave in the Malagueña capital will be the setting for sessions that will function as a prelude to the second edition of the Spain Travel Awards, recognitions promoted by Rubén Gómez Camero and Raúl Gómez Carmona with the aim of establishing themselves as a mark of independence and excellence within the Spanish tourism business fabric.
"This second edition of the Spain Travel Awards, which begins in the city of Málaga, is born with the enthusiasm and motivation to continue adding value to tourism, one of the fundamental pillars of our society," explain its promoters.
The national tour of these awards will conclude on December 1 in Madrid, with the celebration of the grand awards ceremony. With this previous stop, the organizers are transferring the spirit of the recognitions to Málaga, a city that also holds the title of European Capital of Gastronomic Culture.
During the conference, a special recognition will be presented to the mayor of Málaga, Francisco de la Torre, for his extensive career at the head of the City Council and his continued support for the city's tourism growth. The award will be presented by the Malagueña artist Pasión Vega.
This meeting takes place in a context in which Spanish tourism closes the first quarter of the year with a solid dynamic of expansion, both in terms of the number of visitors and, very notably, in the economic impact they generate in the territory.
According to the most recent statistics from Frontur and Egatur disseminated by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), up to April, Spain received nearly 26.6 million international tourists, which represents an increase of 3.4% compared to the same period of the previous year.
At the same time, these visitors made an outlay of more than 36.7 billion euros, with a growth of 6.7% that reinforces the profitability of the model and the attraction of higher value-added flows for the national tourism industry.
Professional Conferences and New Sector Challenges
Against this economic backdrop, the working groups of the professional conferences will focus on the three main levers that are transforming the operating margins of the tourism business.
The panels of specialists will focus on sustainability and social impact as axes of destination governance; on the evolution of the luxury segment towards exclusive high-quality experiences; and on the disruption that artificial intelligence is introducing in marketing processes and operational efficiency.
To respond to this constantly changing reality, the organization of the second edition of the Spain Travel Awards has redesigned the competition and structured it into 19 categories. This new format maintains already consolidated distinctions such as "Best Bed", "Best Hotel", or "Best Ambassador", and incorporates specific indicators to evaluate technological solutions and cultural heritage management through new awards such as "Best International Destination", "Best Sustainable Hotel", "Best Cruise Company", "Best AI Solution applied to Tourism", or "Best Cultural Heritage Management".
The technical closing of the interventions, moderated by presenter Bea Jarrín, will be carried out by the Councilor for Tourism, Jacobo Florido, who will detail the keys to the local model of tourism decentralization.
These conferences highlight Malaga's commitment to the creation of new routes and areas of interest beyond the historic center, promoting sustainable, innovative, and quality tourism, connected with the identity and social legacy of each neighborhood and environment.
The promoters of the awards aspire for them to become consolidated as the benchmark recognition of Spanish tourism, capable of reinforcing and making visible a strategic sector for the economy, offering the awardees a notable boost in image and reputation for their brands.
"We seek to reward the excellence and effort of Spanish tourism at a time of profound transformation. Our goal is not only to present an award, but to create a platform that makes visible those who lead the change towards a more sustainable, innovative, and quality model, demonstrating why Spain continues to be a global benchmark," conclude its creators.