The awards followed the Spain Talks Conference, themed ‘A Destination Blueprint for Improved Tourism Management’, which brought together senior figures and professionals from the Spanish and British travel industries to explore how destinations can manage growth sustainably while protecting local communities and enhancing visitor experiences.

The Spain Talks Media Awards recognise excellence and innovation among UK journalists, travel trade and content creators who champion Spain as a sustainable tourist destination. Entries were judged across social, cultural, environmental and economic sustainability criteria, with a strong emphasis on geographical and seasonal diversity and fresh perspectives on lesser-known regions of Spain.

Spain Talks Media Awards 2026: Winners and Highly Commended

The Ambassador Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Content Creator)

• WINNER: Amanda O’Brien – Social campaign ‘Spain is Much More’ (@theboutiqueadventurer)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Vanessa Ball – How to Explore Sierra Norte de Sevilla: Life Beyond Andalucia’s Capital (She Wanders Miles)

The Business Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Travel Trade)

• WINNER: Emma Dooney – ‘Accessibility is seen as a hassle’ – now one country is on a mission to drive change (TTG Media)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Simon Britchfield – The Secret Spanish Foodie Haven That Will Leave Clients Hungry for More (TTG Media)

The Experience Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Consumer Print/Online – Specific Region, Island or City)

• WINNER: Eddi Fiegel – Exploring Melilla, the Spanish exclave on the north-west coast of Africa (Wanderlust)

• WINNER: Fiona Dunlop – Show us your mussels! A mouthwatering trip to Vigo, Spain’s seafood capital (The Guardian)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Ross Clarke – Land of Lava (Postcards Magazine)

The Media Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Consumer Print/Online – All)

• WINNER: Teresa Machan – Conservation, food and local culture on Gran Canaria (Green Traveller Media)

• HIGHLY COMMENDED: Norman Miller – What Santiago’s Many ‘Camino’ Pilgrims Often Miss (BBC Travel)

The awards were judged by Jessica Harvey Taylor, Head of Press at the Spanish Tourist Office (UK); Carol Rose, Head of Sustainability at ABTA; Thomas Power, CEO of Pura Aventura and Joanna Reeve, General Manager UK & Ireland at Intrepid Travel.

The event also marked Manuel Butler’s final edition of Spain Talks as Director of the Spanish Tourist Office (UK), with TTG CEO Daniel Pearce acknowledging his leadership in advancing industry dialogue around sustainability, accessibility and responsible tourism.

Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office (UK), said:

“It was a pleasure to welcome such a strong gathering of travel trade and media professionals to our fourth edition of Spain Talks. Following insightful discussions across our three panels, Spain’s ambition to become a leading sustainable destination for both visitors and residents remains unwavering. Responsible travel continues to sit at the heart of the Spanish Tourist Office’s strategy. I extend my congratulations to all winners and shortlisted entries in this year’s Spain Talks Media Awards. It is a delight to see Spain’s diverse landscapes and cultural richness so well represented by journalists, bloggers and content creators. I would also like to congratulate Amancio López, President of Grupo Hotusa, for his ongoing commitment to advancing sustainable practices.”

Guests at the ceremony enjoyed a selection of Spanish canapés and drinks inspired by Andalusia and Gran Canaria, the destination sponsors of Spain Talks 2026.

Congratulations to all winners, highly commended and shortlisted entrants!

For all press enquiries contact Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es or the Spanish Tourist Office’s PR agency LOTUS on spain@wearelotus.co.uk.

This year's awards will be held at the Spanish Embassy in London for the first time, on Tuesday 21 April 2026, following the Spain Talks conference, which will feature important discussions on the major challenge: how to manage the growth of destinations in a sustainable way without compromising the visitor experience or the well-being of local communities, themed ‘A Destination Blueprint for Improved Tourism Management’. 

The Spain Talks Media Awards recognise travel writers and content creators for their work in promoting Spain as a sustainable visitor destination in the UK market. The awards represent a recognition of excellence and innovation in all facets of sustainability in the tourism sector including social, cultural, economic, and environmental criteria. 

The judges of the Spain Talks Media Awards 2026 are: 

• Carol Rose, Head of Sustainability at ABTA

• Thomas Power, Co-Founder and CEO of Pura Aventura

• Joanna Reeve, General Manager UK & Ireland at Intrepid Travel

• Jessica Harvey Taylor, Head of Press at The Spanish Tourist Office in the UK  

The shortlists for each category in the Spain Talks Media Awards 2026 are as follows: 

The Ambassador Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Content Creator) 

Vanessa Ball – How to Explore Sierra Norte de Sevilla: Life Beyond Andalucia’s Capital (She Wanders Miles)  

Amanda O’Brien – Social campaign ‘Spain is Much More’ (@theboutiqueadventurer) 

Emma Reed – Slow-Travel Spain: From Madrid’s Heart to Coastal Charms (Emma Reed: Motherhood and Lifestyle with an Eco-Conscious Edge)  

Amy Macpherson – A slow travel guide to Arcos de la Frontera (Senses of Spain) 

The Business Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Travel Trade) 

Stuart Forster – The big interview: Spain’s blend of convenience and variety (Selling Travel) 

Robin Murray – Why there’s more to Magaluf than parties and playas (Travel Weekly) 

Simon Britchfield – The secret Spanish foodie haven that will leave clients hungry for more (TTG) 

Emma Dooney – ‘Accessibility is seen as a hassle’ – now one country is on a mission to drive change (TTG) 

The Experience Award for the Sustainable Feature of the Year (Consumer Print/Online on Specific Region, Island or City) 

Fiona Dunlop – Show us your mussels! A mouthwatering trip to Vigo, Spain’s seafood capital (The Guardian) 

Ross Clarke – Land of Lava: From hiking through misty laurel forests to watching the sun set over a volcanic crater, the Spanish island of Tenerife offers far more than the lively resorts it's known for (Postcards Magazine) 

Eddi Fiegel – Exploring Melilla, the Spanish enclave on the north-west coast of Africa (Wanderlust) 

Francheska Melendez – The ultimate roadtrip across northern Galicia, Spain (Monocle) 

Eddi Fiegel – How the province of Girona became one of Spain’s gastronomy stars (National Geographic Traveller) 

The Media Award for Sustainable Feature of the Year (Consumer Print/Online – All) 

Norman Miller – What Santiago’s many ‘Camino’ pilgrims often miss (BBC Travel) 

Marina Spironetti – Back to their roots: The Vines of the Priorat (Food and Travel Magazine) 

Teresa Machan – Conservation, food and local culture on Gran Canaria (Green Traveller Media) 

Laura Field – Hidden Spain: Venturing to lesser-known Zaragoza and Salamanca (Wanderlust) 

The award ceremony will also include the Wanderlust Award for Spanish Tourism Personality of the Year, which in previous years has been awarded to Gabriel Escarrer, Chairman and CEO of Meliá Hotels International; Simón Pedro Barceló Vadell, Co-Chairman and Shareholder of the Barceló Group; and Luis Gallago, CEO of International Airlines Group (IAG).  

Attendees will be able to enjoy a selection of Spanish canapés and drinks inspired by the regions of Andalusia and Gran Canaria, this year's destination sponsors. 

Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office (UK), states:  

"Spain Talks, which begun in London, has always been a platform for relevant exchange, and we are proud to continue leading the conversation around some of the main challenges in our sector. This fourth edition is especially significant, not only because of the level of the participating experts and professionals, but also because it is being held, for the first time, in the exceptional setting of the Residence of the Spanish Ambassador. We trust that it will be a truly inspiring day."

For all press enquiries contact Jessica Harvey Taylor on Jessica.harvey@tourspain.es or the Spanish Tourist Office’s PR agency LOTUS on spain@wearelotus.co.uk.

Below is a selection of images from both the afternoon conference and the evening media awards.

Thank you to everyone that played a part in the event and congratulations to all the winners and runners-up of Spain Talks Media Awards.

Muchas gracias.

SPAIN TALKS 2025 CONFERENCE:

SPAIN TALKS MEDIA AWARD 2025:

The Spanish Tourist Office (UK) has confirmed the shortlist for the Spain Talks Awards 2025.

The awards will be held at The Conduit (6 Langley St, London WC 2H 9JA) in Covent Garden on Wednesday 30 April 2025, following Spain Talks conference which features important discussion and debate on key issues relating to the travel industry and sustainability.

The awards will celebrate the best travel content about Spain by UK writers showcasing themes which correspond to Spain’s sustainable tourism pillars of ethical and responsible travel. This could be travelling to a lesser-known part of Spain, train travel around the peninsula, or supporting local trade and cultural efforts, to name a few.

The judges of Spain’s Sustainable Awards are:

Carol Rose, Head of Sustainability at ABTA 
Thomas Power, CEO of Pura Aventura 
Richard Hammond, Founder of Green Traveller
Zina Bencheikh, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel

Manuel Butler, Director of The Spanish Tourist Office in the UK. 

 

The shortlists for each category in Spain’s Sustainable Media Awards 2025 are as follows:

The Ambassador Award For Sustainable Content From A Content Creator

Abi King - Inside the Travel Lab

Fran Wilson - Epic Road Rides

Heather Cowper - Heather on Her Travels

Joanna Nemes - The World in My Pocket

Trade Tourism Feature of the Year (print and online)

Debbie Ward - Show your clients a more adventurous side to Tenerife (TTG)

Juliet Dennis - Postcard: North Tenerife (Travel Weekly)

Stuart Forster - Islands in the Stream (Selling Travel)

Teresa Machan - This is how you completely reinvent Benidorm for your clients (TTG)

Consumer Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (Online)

Cathy Robinson - Want to see Japan's cherry blossom without the long-haul price tag? Try Murcia (The I)

Chris Haslam - The European destinations broken by tourism (and how we fix them) (The Times)

Kevin Rushby - It’s very wild. I’ve seen wolves’: a hike through the forests and ghost villages of secret Galicia (The Guardian)

Lois Pryce - One Spanish region where tourists are welcome – especially spaghetti western fans (The Guardian)

Queenie Shaikh - This city is like no other in Spain – here’s why it’s such an amazing place to visit during Ramadan (The Independent)

Consumer Magazine Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (print) 

Jessica Vincent - Rewilding central Spain’s Iberian Highlands (Wanderlust)

Orla Thomas - Paella villages, cycle paths, and wetland boating on a slow tour of the Valencia region (National Geographic Traveller)

Robin Catalano - Explore Lanzarote through an artist's eyes (Wanderlust)

Ross Clarke - Whistle while you walk (Wizz Air magazine)

Consumer National Newspaper Sustainable Tourism Feature of the Year (print) 

Chris Haslam - Islands of the gods (The Times)

Emma Featherstone - Peak position: hike off the tourism trail (The I)

Jessica Vincent - Valencia: Electric boats, birdlife, ricefields and cycling add up to a calmer greener city break (The Guardian)

Ross Clarke - Spain's tastiest city break (The I)

Manuel Butler, Director of the Spanish Tourist Office says:

“Following the success of the last two years of Spain Sustainability Day and media awards, we are delighted to welcome back UK media, content creators and industry representatives to the rebranded Spain Talks awards.

For this year, the awards have been expanded to four new categories that highlight and celebrate initiatives that promote responsible growth in the industry. We are looking forward to celebrating this year’s impressive media and content creator entries showcasing important sustainability initiatives in Spain, something which is imperative to our strategy and messaging. We wish all the participants the best of luck in their respective categories.”

The awards ceremony will also feature the Sustainable Business Award and the Experience Award, presented by Wanderlust Magazine.