Visit Valencia Foundation, Barceló Regen, and Plastic Cup are the winning initiatives of the FiturNext 2026 Challenge

As in previous editions, the selection process for the winning and finalist projects was determined by the Replicability Barometer and the Impact Barometer, culminating in external evaluations by the FiturNext Advisory Council, which contributed to the final verdict.

Water management in the spotlight: discover the winning initiatives

Reducing water consumption through efficient systems, encouraging reuse, and promoting good practices among users are some of the common values shared by the winning initiatives at FiturNext 2026.

• The Visit València Foundation has been recognized in the Destinations and Other Territories category for its project to measure and certify the water footprint of tourism in the city. Since 2019, the Visit València Foundation has calculated and published the annual water consumption derived from tourist activity, analyzing its entire life cycle in collaboration with the Integral Water Cycle and the local tourism sector. Based on this data, the organization promotes efficiency and digitization measures to optimize the use of this resource in hotels, shops, and tourist services. Thanks to this strategy, the city has achieved a water efficiency rating of 95%, making it an international benchmark in sustainable water management in tourist destinations.
• The Barceló hotel group, winner in the HORECA and transport sector category, has developed the Barceló Regen initiative with water as its central focus to move towards regenerative tourism and promote local economies. Noteworthy actions include the installation of water-saving devices and continuous consumption monitoring; the adaptation of green areas with native species that consume little water; and the Songs 4 Showering campaign, which features a Spotify playlist of four-minute songs to encourage shorter showers, as recommended by the WHO. In 2024, the company invested in water improvements in more than 80% of its hotels, incorporating flow reducers, sensors, reuse systems, and pool optimization.
• Finally, the Plastic Cup initiative has been recognized in Other Agents in the Water Value Chain for its innovative model of participatory cleaning of rivers and floodplains. The initiative turns river cleaning into a collective tourist experience where different teams compete to collect and sort the most waste while sailing in boats made from recycled bottles. This action has removed more than 400 tons of river waste and recycled more than 200, in addition to promoting environmental education, regenerative tourism, and citizen collaboration.

Discover the finalists of the FiturNext 2026 Challenge

Nine projects have been selected as finalists for the 2026 Challenge for their dedication and contribution to sustainable and responsible water management in tourism.

• Visit Benidorm has integrated water sustainability into the core of its tourism strategy, managing the water cycle through technology, water reuse, and social awareness programs to achieve peaks of 95% efficiency.
• Edificadoras de Experiencias Turísticas en Tepeixco has promoted, from a community of indigenous women in Mexico, a model of regenerative tourism that offers visitors an authentic immersion through workshops, adventures, and bio-construction to encourage responsible resource management.
• We Love Waters of Xilitla is a project that promotes sustainable tourism and environmental conservation through awareness campaigns, the development of infrastructure for efficient water use, and the promotion of the destination and its water resources.
• Can Buch presents its rural hotel, which runs entirely on renewable energy and rainwater. Its collection and purification system has enabled it to supply internal consumption and irrigation for its crops, setting an example of balance between tourism, self-sufficiency, and environmental conservation.
• Tanganyika (rainwater harvesting) in Tanzania has launched a sustainable accommodation model that guarantees access to clean water in environments without water infrastructure. The initiative recycles rainwater, uses solar energy to heat it, and has large tanks for storage.
• Basata Ecolodge was one of the first eco-lodges in Egypt to use salt water for everyday processes and reuse grey water, as well as being pioneers in the inclusion of other water efficiency measures. As a result, they have minimized freshwater consumption in a desert environment.
• Böëna Lodges has developed a comprehensive water management system that covers everything from collection and treatment to returning water to the environment in optimal conditions. Its lodgings incorporate consumption control systems and environmental education programs.
• Indico's Secret, in the Maldives, integrates a commitment to sustainability into its diving experience. Its own water purification and desalination plant has reduced the use of bottled water and improved resource management, while promoting respect for ecosystems.
• Alianza por el Agua has placed the water challenge on the political agenda in a constructive manner and generated multisectoral dialogues on this issue. In addition, thanks to its participatory interventions in the territory, it has recovered wetlands and native species.

FiturNext 2026 coming soon

As with every edition, the Observatory is preparing a three-day agenda packed with talks, presentations, conferences, and round tables with specialists in water sustainability. A preview of the program will be shared soon, highlighting the awards ceremony on January 21 at 12:30 p.m. (CET) and the presentation of the 2026 report.