Arona Mayor Fátima Lemes Takes Helm of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities Alliance

Fátima Lemes, the mayor of Arona, has taken over as the head of the Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities (AMT). Her main goal is to continue advocating for the needs of these eight key tourist areas. This includes supporting the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030, developing smart tourism initiatives, and promoting the Blue Tourism model.

The handover took place at the annual assembly held at the Hotel Mediterranean Palace in Arona. Lemes succeeds Adriá Lamelas, the mayor of Lloret de Mar. Margarita del Cid, mayor of Torremolinos, will serve as vice-president, and Marco Aurelio Pérez, mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, will be the secretary, according to a statement from the Alliance.

In her acceptance speech, Lemes thanked Lamelas for his work. She acknowledged the significant challenge and commitment involved in her new role. She expressed her determination to keep working towards their shared aim of increasing the Alliance's visibility. This includes highlighting the need for fair funding that reflects the importance of their municipalities in Spain's tourism industry. The ultimate aim is to advance towards smart destinations, data-driven management, and the development of blue tourism.

During the assembly, representatives from the eight member municipalities reviewed their accomplishments from 2025. They also discussed their plans for the upcoming period. Key points included progress on a potential agreement with the Secretariat of State for Tourism (SETUR) to create a technical report on Blue Tourism and coastal preservation within Spain's tourism framework. They also presented their contributions to the Spain Tourism Strategy 2030.

The Alliance stated that their proposals for the new strategy include official recognition for tourist destinations and the revitalization of established destinations to meet current needs.

The mayors also discussed the challenges they face as leading coastal municipalities focused on sun and beach tourism. They aim to ensure a high quality of life for their residents while adapting their tourism offerings to new goals in sustainability and digitalization. The members also agreed on how they will participate and promote themselves internationally at events like FITUR 2026 and other global fairs and forums.

The AMT of Sun and Beach was founded in 2017 by eight prominent Spanish tourist destinations: Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, and Torremolinos. Their main objectives are to address issues related to municipal funding and to promote digitalization, sustainability, accessibility, and cooperation among destinations.