TUI Forest Mallorca has been named the global winner in the Adapting to Climate Change category at the 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards, recognising a reforestation project that is restoring fire-damaged landscapes in one of Europe’s most popular holiday islands. The winners were announced at the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) Global Summit in London, and the TUI Group confirmed the win on 4 November 2026.
The project is run by the TUI Care Foundation in partnership with the Government of the Balearic Islands. It shows how tourism, usually seen as a pressure on fragile destinations, can instead fund and organise the protection of the natural places it depends on.
TUI Forest Mallorca: restoring a fire-scarred park
TUI Forest Mallorca works in the Península de Llevant Natural Park in the north-east of Mallorca. The area has been affected by repeated wildfires, land-use pressures and the increasing consequences of climate change.
The restoration plants native, fire-resistant tree and plant species, rehabilitates coastal dunes and protects vulnerable habitats. The aim is to strengthen the resilience of local ecosystems, prevent desertification and safeguard biodiversity for future generations.
More than planting trees
The initiative goes beyond traditional reforestation. Local communities, conservation specialists, students and tourism stakeholders take part in restoring Mallorca’s natural heritage. More than 1,100 people have already participated in restoration, conservation and environmental education activities.
The project also creates opportunities for local employment and connects visitors with nature conservation, showing how tourism can contribute to the long-term protection of the environments on which destinations depend.
Alexander Panczuk, Managing Director of the TUI Care Foundation, said the award was “a tremendous honour” and an important recognition of what tourism and public institutions can achieve together. Joan Simonet Pons, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Natural Environment of the Government of the Balearic Islands, said protecting and restoring these ecosystems is “a responsibility we share across society”.
The international jury particularly praised the project for bringing together public authorities, conservation specialists, local communities and tourism businesses to address desertification and climate-related environmental challenges. The judges highlighted its integration of nature conservation into tourism development and visitor education, and its potential to inspire similar approaches in other destinations facing increasing climate pressures.
Four TUI Care Foundation projects reached the global finals
The award also marks a wider success for the TUI Care Foundation. Three additional projects reached the global finals after winning Gold at the regional Responsible Tourism Awards earlier in 2026:
- TUI Sea the Change Bali, a finalist in the Nature Positive category, supports coral reef restoration and engages visitors in marine conservation.
- TUI Forest Dominican Republic, a finalist in the Regenerative Tourism category, restores mangrove forests while supporting local employment.
- TUI Field to Fork Greece, also a finalist in the Regenerative Tourism category, connects regenerative agriculture with tourism supply chains and local producers.
The Global Responsible Tourism Awards, organised by ICRT Global, celebrate initiatives that take responsibility for the economic, social and environmental impacts of tourism. In 2026, 34 global finalists from 24 countries competed across six categories, having qualified through regional Gold awards. The other global winners included projects in Sri Lanka, Brazil, Namibia and beyond, covering diversity and inclusion, cultural diversity, local economic benefit, nature-positive tourism and regenerative tourism.
Why this matters for green travel
For green travel, the lesson of TUI Forest Mallorca is practical: a destination’s tourism income and its ecological health rise or fall together. When visitors, businesses and government share the work of restoration, a holiday island gains fire-resistant forests, protected dunes and a community with a direct stake in keeping them intact.
Read more climate and green travel coverage in our climate section.
Key facts
- Winner: TUI Forest Mallorca, Adapting to Climate Change category, 2026 Global Responsible Tourism Awards.
- Where: Península de Llevant Natural Park, north-east Mallorca, Spain.
- Partners: TUI Care Foundation and the Government of the Balearic Islands.
- Work: Native, fire-resistant planting, coastal dune rehabilitation and habitat protection.
- People: More than 1,100 participants in restoration, conservation and environmental education so far.
- Scale of the awards: 34 global finalists from 24 countries across six categories in 2026.
