Marbella has been honored with the ‘Q 2026’ award during the Madrid International Tourism Fair (FITUR) by the Institute for Quality Tourism in Spain and Sustainability (ICTES), highlighting its commitment to quality and sustainable practices.
María José Figueira, the Councillor for Commerce, along with Laura de Arce, the General Director for Tourism, accepted this award during a gala last night in Madrid, solidifying Marbella’s reputation as a national landmark in tourism excellence. This award marks another achievement for Marbella, a Spanish locality with the highest number of public certifications.
The ‘Q 2026’ award recognizes the municipal strategy focused on quality and sustainability, positioning Marbella at the forefront of the national tourism sector. The city boasts 19 beaches certified with the Q of Quality and the S of Sustainable Tourism, along with the Sierra Blanca trail network, which has also received similar certifications. Marbella holds the label of Intelligent Tourist Destination (DTI) certified with the Q of Tourism Quality.
Figueira emphasized that this recognition “confirms the success of a strategy where both the public and private sectors work hand in hand” and highlighted that the city will continue to strive to maintain its international leadership by offering a unique experience equipped to tackle future challenges.
It is worth noting that Marbella arrives at FITUR with a busy professional agenda and the confidence stemming from historic figures achieved in 2025. More than 70 meetings are scheduled with tour operators and tourism promotion agencies, focusing on capturing high purchasing power markets while reinforcing a quality-centered model over quantity. In 2025, Marbella led in hotel profitability in Spain, achieving record monthly income per room (RevPAR) and an economic impact from overnight stays totaling €594 million, a 53% increase compared to 2019 and €44 million more than the previous year. The city has also launched a new promotional video that aims to capture the essence of Marbella as a sought-after destination with original music from Juan de Lola, narration by Jesús Olmedo, and direction by Jaime Varela.
Additionally, besides Marbella, this year’s edition also recognized the Public Network of Hostels of the Camino de Santiago and the concert hall Garaje Beat Club in Murcia for their quality and sustainable tourism experiences on a national scale. In summary, the ‘Q 2026’ award and Marbella’s push at FITUR 2026 underline the city’s consolidation as a destination of tourist excellence, capable of combining quality and sustainability while offering an innovative and attractive proposal for international markets.
