Lanzarote Tourism Awards 2026: Puerto del Carmen Celebrates the People Behind the Island’s Tourism Success
Puerto del Carmen has provided the setting for one of Lanzarote’s most important annual tourism events, as the island recognised people, businesses and organisations whose work has helped shape the destination.
A night celebrating Lanzarote tourism
The 2026 Premios Isla de Lanzarote and Distinguidos del Turismo were presented on Monday 28 September at the Plaza de Las Naciones in Puerto del Carmen. The ceremony was organised by SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, the island’s tourism promotion body, on behalf of the Cabildo de Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
The event had an added significance this year because Puerto del Carmen is marking its 60th anniversary as a tourist destination. The location therefore offered a fitting backdrop for an evening focused on the people and organisations that have helped develop Lanzarote tourism over the decades.
Bienvenido Saavedra receives the island’s top tourism award
The Premio Isla de Lanzarote, the highest distinction presented in this programme, went to Bienvenido Saavedra Ramón.
Saavedra is a long-standing figure in the tourism sector in Puerto del Carmen and is a former director general of Grupo Fariones. The award recognises more than five decades of work connected with the development of Lanzarote’s hotel industry.
His recognition also highlights how much of Puerto del Carmen’s tourism story has been built over several generations, from its early development as a fishing community and emerging resort to the international holiday destination visitors know today.
The 2026 Distinguidos del Turismo
Several other recipients were recognised in the Distinguidos del Turismo categories.
Pensiones Girasol and Enriqueta in La Graciosa received the award in the Empresa category. They were recognised for their pioneering role in the development of accommodation in Caleta de Sebo.
Club Balonmano Zonzamas received the distinction in the Event, Cultural and/or Sporting Manifestation category, acknowledging its contribution to promoting Lanzarote through women’s sport.
The Personalidad distinction was awarded posthumously to Antonio “Toni” Orosa Cabrera, a historic figure in the promotion of Lanzarote tourism who was closely associated for many years with the island’s representation at FITUR, Spain’s major international tourism trade fair.
Special mentions across tourism, sport and local culture
The 2026 awards also included three special mentions.
Lanzarote International Cup was recognised for an international youth football tournament that brings teams together from the island’s seven municipalities.
Haría Artesanal was highlighted for its work preserving and promoting traditional craftsmanship and local products.
Solveig Olsen, hotel director at Club La Santa, received a special mention for her contribution to the development of Lanzarote as an international sports tourism destination.
Why these awards matter
Lanzarote’s tourism industry is supported by a huge range of people and organisations, from accommodation providers and sports clubs to artisans, tourism professionals and those involved in destination promotion. The annual tourism awards provide a chance to recognise that work and to look beyond the visitor attractions themselves.
For residents, the ceremony is also a reminder of how dramatically Puerto del Carmen and the wider island have changed over the past 60 years, while still retaining many of the qualities that make Lanzarote distinctive.
Puerto del Carmen and 60 years of tourism
The choice of Puerto del Carmen for the 2026 ceremony was particularly appropriate. The resort is celebrating six decades as a tourist destination, and its growth has played a major part in the history of Lanzarote tourism.
Today, visitors know Puerto del Carmen for its long seafront, beaches, restaurants, hotels, apartments, nightlife and wide range of activities. Its development forms part of the much larger story of how Lanzarote became an internationally recognised holiday destination.
Looking ahead
The 2026 ceremony also provided an opportunity to look towards the future. Tourism Lanzarote has emphasised the importance of continuing to develop the destination while paying attention to quality, sustainability, local identity and coexistence with residents.
That balance will remain an important part of the conversation around tourism in Lanzarote as the island welcomes visitors while also protecting the character and resources that make the destination attractive in the first place.
