The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, through SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, celebrated this Monday in the Plaza de Las Naciones in Puerto del Carmen the award ceremony for the Isla de Lanzarote and Distinguidos del Turismo 2026 Awards, with which the Island recognizes the trajectory and contribution of people, companies, entities, and initiatives linked to the development and positioning of the destination.
This year's celebration took on special significance as it coincided with the 60th anniversary of Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote's main tourist town.
The president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Oswaldo Betancort, highlighted during his speech that "a destination is not built solely with promotional campaigns, but over decades, person by person, company by company, and generation after generation."
Betancort also pointed out that "the future of Lanzarote's tourism must continue to advance towards a model of greater quality, sustainability, and coexistence, but without ever losing what has made us different: our territory, our identity, and our people."
For his part, the CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, congratulated all the people, companies, and entities recognized in this edition and thanked the large attendance of representatives from the island's tourism business sector, as well as the authorities who accompanied the awardees during the celebration.
Fernández emphasized that these awards "allow us to recognize those who, from very different fields, have contributed over the years to building the destination that Lanzarote is today and to projecting it within and beyond our borders."
The CEO also dedicated some particularly emotional words to Antonio ‘Toni’ Orosa Cabrera, posthumously honored in the Personality category and closely linked for decades to the former Tourism Board and subsequently to SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote.
"Toni is part of the memory and history of Lanzarote's tourism promotion. He was a person deeply loved by those of us who had the opportunity to share work and life with him, and his commitment to this Island, especially through his presence for so many years at FITUR, left a mark that remains with us," said Fernández.
The recognition of Toni Orosa, received by his sister Teresa, starred one of the most emotional moments of the night, becoming a tribute not only to his professional career, but also to his human quality and his close ties with those who have worked for decades in the tourist promotion of Lanzarote.
Bienvenido Saavedra, Isla de Lanzarote Award
The highest recognition of this edition, the Isla de Lanzarote Award, was presented to Bienvenido Saavedra Ramón, a historic professional in the tourism sector of Puerto del Carmen and former general director of the Fariones Group.
The jury thus recognized a career of more than five decades dedicated to the hotel development of Lanzarote and his contribution to the tourist consolidation of the Island.
Saavedra spoke during the gala to thank the distinction before the closing speech of the president of the Cabildo.
Distinguished Tourism Professionals 2026
In the Tourist Company category, Pensiones Girasol and Enriqueta, from La Graciosa, received recognition for their pioneering role in the birth and development of the accommodation infrastructure of Caleta de Sebo.
In the category of Event, Cultural and/or Sports Manifestation of tourist interest, the award went to the Club Balonmano Zonzamas, for its contribution to the external projection of Lanzarote through women's sports.
The recognition in the Personality category was awarded posthumously to Antonio ‘Toni’ Orosa Cabrera, a historic figure linked for decades to the tourist promotion of Lanzarote and the representation of the Island at FITUR.
Three special mentions
This 2026 edition also featured an artistic design of Lanzarote origin: the sculptures presented as awards to the Distinguished Tourism Professionals were created by the artist Noelia Jiménez.
The gala also recognized with special mentions the Haría Artesanal collective, for its contribution to the preservation and promotion of artisanal heritage and local products; Solveig Olsen, for her contribution to the development of Lanzarote as an international destination for sports tourism; and Lanzarote International Cup, an international youth football tournament with the participation of teams from the seven municipalities of the Island.
The gala also included different audiovisual content dedicated to the honored people and entities, sign language interpretation, and streaming broadcast.
The finishing touch of this edition of the Premios Isla de Lanzarote y Distinguidos del Turismo was put by the music of Iballa González, on vocals, along with the performance of Raúl Maro, and Marta Apine, on saxophone, who closed a night conceived to recognize the history, talent, and people who have contributed to making Lanzarote one of the benchmark tourist destinations.
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