For the second time in a row, Adeje, in the south of Tenerife, has been named Spain’s most competitive tourist destination, according to the new SolyTUR study published by Exceltur.
The report, which examines more than 100,000 data points from destinations across the country, was presented at the national forum organised by the Association for Tourism Excellence, which brings together the most significant economic players in the sector and is chaired by Gabriel Escarrer.
The event was attended by the mayor of Adeje, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga, who took part in a panel discussion, and the councillor for tourism, Patricia Paulsen Fölling, along with numerous mayors, political representatives, and business leaders from across the country, as well as the Minister of Tourism for Spain, Jordi Hereu, and the Secretary of State, Rosario Sánchez.
Among the 20 most important destinations analysed in this 2024 monitor, presented by Exceltur’s vice-president, Oscar Perelli, Adeje leads the ranking due to its commitment to high-level business tourism initiatives and improvements to public spaces.
The ranking also highlights the municipality’s strong environmental protections and its ability to harness tourism for social and economic benefits. Adeje is followed by Calvià (Mallorca), Playa de Palma de Mallorca, Benidorm, and Marbella.
The study provides an in-depth analysis of the competitive positioning of Spain’s 20 most significant coastal and island municipalities, using 63 key indicators to assess their future competitiveness, drawing on over 100,000 data points. As a result, Adeje tops the responsible tourism competitiveness ranking of SolyTUR 2024, maintaining its position from 2019.
Adeje as a role model
Adeje stands out for tourism’s strong contribution to the social sphere, particularly in job creation, public-private collaboration, the positive attitude of local residents towards tourism, and environmental respect, with more than 80% of the municipality’s land protected.
As an example, Rodríguez Fraga noted that the municipality's unemployment number recently dropped below 2,000 with the current figure at 1,982. “Of course, we remain concerned and continue to work for those individuals, but in reality, this represents structural unemployment, which is very difficult to eliminate entirely,” he explained.
More than 2,000 businesses, most of them in the tourism sector, are registered with Adeje’s employment database, creating daily job opportunities for people across the island, not just those in Adeje.
“We have maintained our commitment to excellence over the years. This has always been our model, and while there is room for improvement, it has proven to deliver the best results. This study reaffirms that,” the mayor stated.
“Respecting our environment, ensuring stability, and maintaining rigorous standards among all stakeholders in our tourism value chain have been key to our success. These findings should reinforce what matters most to us: ensuring tourism continues to generate wealth and opportunities for the people of Adeje, which is our primary goal,” he added.
During the event, he expressed gratitude to Adeje’s residents, tourism workers, and business community, emphasising that “without them, these positive results would not be possible.”
Adeje leads in the protection and enhancement of its coastline as a primary tourism resource, with the report assessing environmental management, beach conservation, accessibility, nautical facilities, sailing, surfing, maritime excursions, and scuba diving.
The municipality also ranks first in accommodation excellence, based on its commitment to regulated offerings, the high quality of its hotels, its market positioning, seasonality management, and economies of scale.
Economic and social performance indicators also place Adeje at the top of the ranking, with strong results in total revenues, revenue per available accommodation unit, territorial productivity, visitor appeal, and employment generated by tourism activity. This economic and social success underpins Adeje’s overall strategy, which has also been widely praised.
“I will never tire of saying that if tourism does not create wealth for our people, it is worthless. And the data shows that it does. That doesn’t mean there’s no room for improvement, we know that some employment conditions, training opportunities, and wages in certain sectors need to be enhanced. These are some of our key challenges moving forward,” Fraga stated.
Adeje also ranks highly in the diversification of tourism products and the promotion of unique leisure experiences, placing third in categories such as golf, family tourism, nature, nightlife, gastronomy, and wellness. The report particularly highlights governance and strategic management, assessing the political priority given to tourism, municipal budget allocations, and cross-sector collaboration.
