- The Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities (AMT), which brings together eight of the main tourist destinations in Spain (Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Torremolinos), met today in London with the CEOs and senior managers of the main British tour operators in a key meeting to strengthen relations with the UK tourism market, which accounts for more than 20% of international spending in Spain. The Mayor of Lloret, who this year chairs the AMT, headed the delegation.
The conference, organised by the Spanish Tourism Office (OTS) in London, was attended by representatives of institutions and leading companies such as TUI, Jet2 and ABTA, as well as leading journalists from the sector, consolidating the AMT as a strategic interlocutor in international tourism.
The event was opened by the Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, José Pascual Marco, and the Tourism Counsellor at the Embassy, Manuel Butler.
During the meeting, the mayors and top representatives of the AMT destinations shared their progress in sustainability, integration and tourism hospitality, pillars of their strategy for a more balanced and resilient tourism model.
The President of the AMT and Mayor of Lloret de Mar, Adrià Lamelas, stated that “this meeting responds to our commitment to maintain close communication with the main players in British tourism and to establish joint actions that contribute to this important balance between residents and tourists. The British market is essential and we want to continue to grow together based on collaboration and mutual trust”.
For her part, the vice-president of the AMT and mayoress of Arona, Fátima Lemes, pointed out that “our destinations are still committed to a solid and respectful relationship with the British visitor, who is part of our tourism history. Today we have shown that, far from distorted messages, we continue to be an open, friendly country, ready to offer a safe and enriching experience”.
The forum included panel discussions with leading industry executives such as Neil Swanson (Managing Director of TUI UK & Ireland), Steve Heapy (CEO of Jet2), and a closing keynote address by Mark Tanzer (CEO of ABTA), moderated by Sophie Griffiths (TTG Media) and Lucy Huxley (Travel Weekly).
The AMT considers this action key to consolidating its role as a driving force for Spanish tourism and to guaranteeing a long-term relationship based on trust, quality and hospitality.
About the AMT Sun and Beach
The Alliance of Sun and Beach Tourist Municipalities was created in 2017 with the initiative of eight pioneering tourist destinations in Spain, such as Adeje, Arona, Benidorm, Calvià, Lloret de Mar, Salou, San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Torremolinos. The key objectives are to address the problems affecting the financing of tourist municipalities and the commitment to the digitisation of the sector, sustainability, accessibility and cooperation between destinations.
