Iniciativas Eco-responsables y RSE

💸 Banco Popular Dominicano closed 2025 with a tourism-linked financing portfolio of €1,750 million, a 27% increase. At a Madrid event, CEO Christopher Paniagua announced support for 15 projects and evaluation of 17 more, totaling €2,100 million. These aim to add 7,500 rooms, 6,000 direct jobs, and 18,000 indirect jobs. Plans for 2026 include €370 million credit facilities for strategic projects and 40 meetings at Fitur to explore new opportunities in the Dominican Republic.

🌍 Pueblos Mágicos de España will participate in Fitur 2026, focusing on rural tourism and sustainability. On January 22, agreements with Tlaxcala and Aguascalientes will be formalized. The network now includes 182 municipalities. The "Nuevos Pueblos Mágicos de España 2026" ceremony occurs at noon, awarding the "Monumento Mágico del Año" to Castillo de La Calahorra. Airbnb will receive recognition for supporting rural development, highlighting the private sector's role in tourism.

🏛 Málaga, January 21-25, 2026, Madrid: Málaga joins Fitur with a 248 sqm space at Ifema's pavilion 7, featuring stands A03 and A05. Led by Mayor Francisco de la Torre, 36 co-exhibiting companies participate with a €270,000 budget, partly EU-funded. The agenda includes 70 professional meetings, unveiling Málaga's Tourism Strategic Plan 2026-2029. From January to November 2025, Málaga saw 1.7M hotel travelers and 3.5M overnight stays, growing 13.44% and 8.08% annually.

🏨 Hotel Investment Partners (HIP) kicks off 2026 with the acquisition of its first hotel in Cyprus: Olympic Lagoon Resorts Paphos. Located beachfront, the 5-star resort boasts 276 rooms, 6 restaurants, and 5 pools. HIP plans a €17 million investment for renovations, focusing on sustainability with energy-efficient upgrades and aiming for BREEAM certification. Managed by Kanika, the hotel remains under their operation. This purchase enhances HIP's international portfolio, adding to its hotels in Greece, Italy, and Portugal.

🛫 200 wealthy Americans traveled to the Basque Country to celebrate New Year's and start 2026. They arrived on December 31, 2025, in a chartered Boeing 767 from Omni Air International, which will remain at Loiu Airport until January 2. The group plans to visit various wineries in La Rioja. The aircraft, part of Omni Air's 15-plane fleet, can carry 250 passengers. The trip sparked an environmental debate on social media.

📅 Gran Canaria Convention Bureau launched the first “Guía de Sostenibilidad MICE” to promote sustainable tourism. Introduced during the 9th Gran Canaria MICE Day, it includes a directory of 22 entities for event collaboration. Initiated in 2024, this aligns with a Spain Convention Bureau pilot program, involving Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Director Pablo Llinares emphasizes social inclusion and local product use, aiming for a positive local impact. Gran Canaria is the first to complete the responsible tourism protocol successfully.

🌴 Baleares' business leaders aim for more tourists by 2026, emphasizing "sustainable growth." The islands once supported their 500,000 residents locally in the 1980s but now depend on imports. Summer sees nearly 2 million visitors, straining resources. With fears of declining British and German markets in 2026, the island's population now exceeds 1 million, challenging sustainability. Despite the push for growth, local agricultural production is minimal, prompting concerns over sustaining high visitor numbers.

🌎 Imserso grants, by 2026, Spain: Over €3.5 million allocated for accessible tourism and spa stays for people with disabilities. Aims to enhance autonomy and social participation through natural and spa experiences. Additional €2.3 million dedicated to elderly care programs. Total funding: nearly €6 million for social programs over two years. Notifications sent electronically via Imserso’s portal.

🏨 José Ángel Preciados leads Ilunion Hotels to global acclaim. In 2025, the chain won the EFQM Global Award, becoming the first hotel group to achieve this. It also joined the World Economic Forum's "New Champions" community. With a €50 million Ebitda in 2024, Ilunion expanded to Mallorca. Certification as a B Corp underscores its focus on sustainability and social impact. Recognized as one of Spain's top 100 employers, it emphasizes employee well-being and innovation.