Sant Josep de sa Talaia has entered the national Top 10 of Exceltur's SolyTUR ranking, placing seventh among Spain's leading coastal holiday destinations for responsible tourism competitiveness.

The municipality highlighted the result as one of the main achievements of its tourism strategy during a review of the 2023-2026 period presented by the Sant Josep Town Council's Department of Tourism.

According to Exceltur's SolyTUR 2024 report, Sant Josep recorded an overall competitiveness index of 104.2, compared with a benchmark of 100 for the 20 destinations evaluated. The municipality ranked seventh overall in the national ranking.

The ranking measures tourism competitiveness across a broad range of factors rather than simply visitor numbers or hotel occupancy. Exceltur evaluates 20 major sun-and-beach destinations using seven pillars and 63 individual indicators.

Sant Josep's result therefore places the Ibiza municipality among the better-performing established coastal destinations in Spain according to Exceltur's methodology.

Sant Josep is seventh among 20 destinations

Exceltur's SolyTUR report evaluates 20 Spanish destinations with a major sun-and-beach tourism profile.

In the 2024 ranking, Sant Josep de sa Talaia occupies seventh place with an overall index of 104.2.

The municipalities above it are Adeje, Calvià, Playa de Palma, Benidorm, Marbella and San Bartolomé de Tirajana.

Sant Josep is followed by Santa Eulària des Riu and other established coastal destinations.

The result puts two municipalities from Ibiza among Spain's 20 destinations assessed by SolyTUR, with Sant Josep in seventh place and Santa Eulària also appearing in the ranking.

What exactly does the Exceltur ranking measure?

The SolyTUR ranking is designed to measure responsible tourism competitiveness rather than simply popularity.

Exceltur assesses seven broad areas:

Maintenance and enhancement of the coast as a tourism product

Diversification of tourism products and leisure experiences

Transport accessibility

Quality and excellence of accommodation

Management and regulation of public space

Governance and strategic management

Economic and social performance

Within those seven pillars, the report uses 63 indicators to calculate the overall ranking.

This means Sant Josep's seventh-place result should not be interpreted as meaning that it is Spain's seventh most visited coastal destination.

It is a competitiveness ranking based on Exceltur's specific methodology.

Sant Josep scores particularly strongly in accommodation

One of the municipality's strongest areas in the SolyTUR report is the quality and orientation of its accommodation sector.

Sant Josep ranked third nationally among the 20 destinations for the pillar covering excellence in the accommodation model.

Its score in this category was 114.7 against the benchmark of 100.

That result reflects the established presence of higher-category hotels and other tourism accommodation in the municipality.

The accommodation pillar is one of the areas in which Sant Josep performs substantially above the overall benchmark.

Transport accessibility is another strong point

Sant Josep also performed strongly in transport accessibility.

The municipality ranked fourth among the 20 destinations in this category, with an index of 117.0.

Its position benefits from Ibiza's airport infrastructure and the accessibility of the municipality from the island's main transport connections.

The strong result indicates that, according to Exceltur's indicators, Sant Josep is relatively well connected compared with the other coastal destinations analysed.

Diversification is another area where Sant Josep performs well

Sant Josep ranked fourth in the diversification and leisure-experience pillar.

Its index was 110.2.

This category looks beyond the traditional beach holiday model and considers the extent to which a destination offers different tourism experiences and products.

Exceltur's methodology incorporates areas including nature, family tourism, nightlife, gastronomy, wellness and other leisure activities.

Sant Josep's fourth-place ranking in this category indicates that its tourism offer is considerably broader than simply its beaches.

Sant Josep ranks strongly for public-space management

The municipality also performed above the benchmark in the management and regulation of public space category.

Its score was 106.2, placing it fifth among the destinations assessed.

This pillar considers the organisation and management of the public areas that form part of a destination's tourism environment.

For a municipality such as Sant Josep, this is particularly relevant because some of its most visited locations are environmentally sensitive coastal areas that experience significant seasonal visitor pressure.

The weakest scores are not being ignored

The ranking is not uniformly positive across every category.

Sant Josep's score for maintenance and enhancement of the coast was 95.8, placing it 14th in that pillar.

Its governance and strategic-management score was 94.8, putting it 13th.

These results are below the benchmark of 100 used by Exceltur.

The municipality's overall seventh-place ranking therefore comes from the combination of strong results in some areas and weaker performance in others rather than from leading every individual category.

That distinction is important when assessing what the Exceltur report actually says.

Economic and social performance is around the national benchmark

Sant Josep's score in the economic and social performance category was 100.2.

That placed it ninth among the 20 destinations in that particular pillar.

The result is almost exactly in line with the benchmark of 100.

Taken together with the stronger accommodation, transport, diversification and public-space scores, it contributes to the municipality's seventh-place overall position.

The municipality is using the ranking to assess its 2023-2026 tourism strategy

The Exceltur result was highlighted by Sant Josep Town Council as part of its review of the work carried out by its Tourism Department over the past three years.

The council describes the period as a change in tourism strategy, built around the slogan and philosophy "Sant Josep, Full of Life / Ple de Vida".

The stated objective has been to move beyond a tourism model based purely on sun and beach and to place greater emphasis on local identity, culture, environmental protection and coexistence between residents and visitors.

The municipality's tourism leadership presented the seventh-place SolyTUR ranking as evidence that this approach has strengthened Sant Josep's position nationally.

The council says it wants tourism to benefit residents

Mayor Vicente Roig said the municipality's approach has focused on ensuring that tourism serves the local population as well as visitors.

He described the goal as regaining greater control over the tourism model and strengthening the municipality's identity.

The council's messaging places particular emphasis on maintaining Sant Josep as a place where residents can live while continuing to attract visitors.

That philosophy has also guided efforts to diversify the tourism offer and address activities that the municipality considers illegal or disruptive.

Tourism coordination has been strengthened

The council says its tourism team reactivated the local Tourism Board, bringing together representatives from the hotel sector, business organisations, nightlife, taxis and other stakeholders.

The stated aim was to create greater consensus among the different parts of the tourism economy.

According to the municipality, the process produced agreements on several local issues and strengthened dialogue between public authorities and tourism businesses.

The council presented this cooperation as part of its broader tourism-management strategy.

Sant Josep has increased action against illegal tourism activity

Another major part of the three-year review concerns the fight against unlicensed or irregular tourism activity.

The municipality says it has invested more than €500,000 from the Sustainable Tourism Tax programme in a dedicated local enforcement unit.

The unit within the Local Police consists of six officers, one senior officer and administrative staff.

Its remit includes inspections relating to illegal tourist rentals, pirate taxis, unauthorised VTC operations and clandestine parties.

The council describes this as its largest enforcement effort against tourism-related irregular activity to date.

The municipality has joined Ibiza's anti-intrusion programme

Sant Josep's enforcement work is connected to the broader Ibiza Contra el Intrusismo programme.

The municipality says the programme has allowed it to increase inspections and coordinate efforts against forms of activity operating outside the regulated tourism sector.

The emphasis is particularly strong on illegal holiday rentals and transport services operating without the required permissions.

These measures form part of the council's stated objective of creating what it describes as a more regulated and sustainable tourism model.

Cala d'Hort and es Vedrà are among the areas targeted for visitor-pressure management

The council also highlighted measures intended to reduce pressure in highly sensitive tourist locations.

It specifically cited Cala d'Hort and the es Vedrà viewpoint as areas where visitor saturation has been reduced.

These are among Sant Josep's most internationally recognisable landscapes and also among the locations most exposed to heavy visitor demand during the summer.

The municipality has sought to improve traffic and access management in these areas as part of a broader effort to balance tourism with environmental protection.

Parking has also been reorganised at Platges de Comte and Cala Bassa

Sant Josep says it has reached agreements with owners of land at Platges de Comte and Cala Bassa concerning parking arrangements.

The stated objective is to reorganise vehicle parking and reduce pressure immediately beside the coastline.

The municipality says these measures have helped free parts of the first line of the coast from excessive vehicle pressure.

The approach forms part of the council's broader strategy of managing popular coastal destinations rather than allowing unrestricted vehicle access to sensitive areas.

Local culture has become a larger part of the tourism strategy

Sant Josep is also promoting tourism products based on local culture rather than relying exclusively on beaches and nightlife.

Among the initiatives highlighted by the municipality are Sant Josep és Música, the Fira de la Patata, the Ses Cases Santes route, Sant Josep és Foto and the Fira de la Sal.

These projects are intended to broaden the reasons visitors have to explore the municipality and to give greater visibility to local traditions, culture and gastronomy.

The council sees this diversification as part of the move away from a purely seasonal sun-and-beach tourism model.

Sant Josep és Música puts local music at the centre

The Sant Josep és Música programme is one example of the municipality's effort to create tourism experiences around local culture.

Rather than simply using Ibiza's international clubbing reputation as a tourism attraction, the initiative focuses on musical activity connected to the local community.

The council has presented such programmes as a way of strengthening the municipality's identity and creating reasons for visitors to explore Sant Josep outside the conventional beach itinerary.

Food and agricultural traditions are also being promoted

The Fira de la Patata and the route of Ses Cases Santes are part of another aspect of the tourism strategy.

These initiatives focus on traditional agriculture, local food and rural heritage.

The objective is to make the municipality's agricultural and cultural identity more visible to visitors while supporting a broader tourism product.

The approach is intended to give Sant Josep an identity beyond its famous beaches and nightlife venues.

The Fira de la Sal connects tourism with the island's heritage

The Fira de la Sal has also been highlighted as an important development.

The municipality points to the decision to close the Ses Salines Natural Park to road traffic during the event as a particularly significant measure.

The initiative connects local heritage and traditional salt production with a tourism experience while also reducing direct vehicle pressure in the protected area.

It illustrates the municipality's attempt to combine cultural promotion with environmental management.

Sant Josep és Foto is another diversification project

The council has also launched Sant Josep és Foto, a photography-focused cultural initiative.

The project is intended to develop Sant Josep's identity as a destination for creative photography and cultural tourism.

The municipality says the programme will establish April as a month dedicated to photography and creative activity.

Such initiatives form part of the council's broader strategy to create tourism reasons to visit outside the traditional peak beach season.

International promotion has also increased

The municipality says its tourism promotion has been expanded beyond the domestic market.

Sant Josep has maintained a presence at major international tourism trade fairs including FITUR in Madrid, World Travel Market in London and ITB in Berlin.

It has also organised workshops and roadshows in several Spanish cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, Málaga, Sevilla and A Coruña.

The stated target is to attract a broader selection of visitors, including family, sports and MICE tourism.

The council reports significant media exposure

Alongside the Exceltur result, the municipality highlighted the reach generated by its tourism marketing campaigns.

According to the council, the campaigns reached 47.2 million users.

It also estimates that the campaigns generated more than €712,000 in organic advertising value without direct cost to municipal funds.

These figures are presented by the municipality as measures of the effectiveness of its promotional strategy.

They should be understood as municipal campaign metrics rather than an independent assessment of the value of Sant Josep's entire tourism marketing programme.

What the Exceltur ranking tells us about Sant Josep

The most useful conclusion from the SolyTUR report is that Sant Josep's tourism model performs strongly in several areas while still facing challenges in others.

Its strongest rankings are:

Third for accommodation excellence

Fourth for transport accessibility

Fourth for diversification and leisure experiences

Fifth for public-space management

Ninth for economic and social performance

Its weaker areas are:

13th for governance and strategic management

14th for coastal maintenance and enhancement

The overall result is seventh place out of the 20 destinations analysed.

That makes the ranking more nuanced than simply describing Sant Josep as one of Spain's "best" tourism destinations.

It is specifically one of the stronger performers under Exceltur's responsible tourism competitiveness methodology.

Sant Josep competes with some of Spain's biggest tourism destinations

The significance of the seventh-place ranking becomes clearer when looking at the destinations included in the report.

The list contains municipalities such as Adeje, Calvià, Playa de Palma, Benidorm and Marbella.

These are some of Spain's best-known coastal tourism destinations.

Sant Josep's position ahead of many established tourism centres therefore represents a notable result within Exceltur's methodology.

At the same time, the municipality remains behind the strongest performers in the ranking, meaning there is still room for improvement in several measured areas.

Ibiza's tourism strategy is increasingly focused on sustainability

Sant Josep's use of the SolyTUR result also fits into the wider debate about the future of Ibiza tourism.

The island is dealing with growing concerns around housing, water resources, traffic, visitor pressure and environmental protection.

That has pushed local authorities to look beyond simple increases in visitor numbers and towards questions about the quality, economic value and sustainability of tourism.

The municipality's current strategy reflects that shift by placing greater emphasis on regulation, diversification, local culture and environmental management.

The ranking does not measure whether tourism pressure has disappeared

It is important not to overinterpret the Exceltur result.

A high competitiveness ranking does not mean that Sant Josep has solved the problems associated with mass tourism.

The municipality itself is continuing to deal with issues involving illegal accommodation, traffic, pressure at popular beaches and environmental management.

The SolyTUR report measures destination competitiveness using a defined set of indicators. It is not a general assessment of whether residents consider tourism pressure acceptable.

That distinction is particularly important in Ibiza, where tourism remains both an essential part of the economy and a source of major social and environmental debate.

Sant Josep's own assessment of the past three years

The municipal review presents the period from 2023 to 2026 as a significant change in direction.

The council says it has sought to put greater emphasis on local identity, environmental protection, public-space management and regulation of tourism-related activity.

The Exceltur ranking has now become one of the most prominent external indicators the municipality can point to when assessing that strategy.

The seventh-place position is not a new 2026 ranking, but rather a result from Exceltur's 2024 SolyTUR report that the council is highlighting as part of its current three-year review.

What comes next for Sant Josep?

The municipality now faces the challenge of maintaining its competitiveness while dealing with the pressures associated with its popularity.

The areas where Exceltur identified room for improvement provide part of that agenda.

Improving coastal management and strengthening governance could be particularly important if Sant Josep wants to move further up the ranking in future editions.

At the same time, continuing to diversify tourism and maintain a high-quality accommodation offer could help the municipality retain its strong position.

Sant Josep enters Spain's tourism Top 10

Sant Josep de sa Talaia's seventh-place position in Exceltur's SolyTUR 2024 ranking places the Ibiza municipality among Spain's 10 highest-ranked coastal destinations for responsible tourism competitiveness.

Its strongest performances are in accommodation, transport accessibility, tourism diversification and public-space management.

The municipality is now using that result alongside its own three-year review to argue that its tourism strategy is producing measurable progress.

But the same Exceltur data also identify areas where Sant Josep has more work to do, particularly governance and coastal management.

That makes the result significant not simply because Sant Josep has entered the Top 10, but because it provides a detailed picture of where the municipality is performing strongly and where the next stage of tourism policy could be focused.

Key Facts

Municipality: Sant Josep de sa Talaia, Ibiza

Ranking: 7th nationally

Ranking assessed: 20 Spanish coastal sun-and-beach destinations

Exceltur report: SolyTUR 2024

Overall index: 104.2

Benchmark: 100

Accommodation excellence: 3rd, index 114.7

Transport accessibility: 4th, index 117.0

Diversification and leisure experiences: 4th, index 110.2

Public-space management: 5th, index 106.2

Economic and social performance: 9th, index 100.2

Governance and strategic management: 13th, index 94.8

Coastal maintenance and enhancement: 14th, index 95.8

Municipal tourism review period: 2023-2026

Tourism brand highlighted by the municipality: Sant Josep, Full of Life / Ple de Vida

Reported campaign reach: 47.2 million users

Reported organic advertising value: More than €712,000

Investment cited for anti-intrusion enforcement: More than €500,000 from the Sustainable Tourism Tax programme