Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — Playa del Carmen has taken a new step in its international outreach strategy by advancing a collaboration agreement with the Spanish municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu on the island of Ibiza, aiming to boost joint projects in economic, business, tourism, and cultural areas.
The working meeting was led by Estefanía Hernández, Secretary of Economic Development and Investment Attraction, who met with Santa Eulària des Riu Mayor María del Carmen Ferrer Torres, as well as María Fajarnés Costa, executive councilor for Economic Promotion, Municipal Cooperation and Human Resources, and Vicente Marí Torres, president of the Consell Insular d’Eivissa and head of Tourism Promotion, Rural and Marine Affairs.
During the meeting, the foundations were laid for a collaboration and strategic sister city agreement to be finalized during an upcoming official visit, with the aim of strengthening the exchange of experiences and opening new cooperation opportunities in priority sectors for both regions.
As part of the meeting, Hernández formally delivered an invitation for the Spanish mayor to attend as a special guest at the Feria del Carmen 2027, one of Playa del Carmen’s most representative celebrations, featuring religious, cultural, artistic, and commercial activities.
Hernández noted that institutional relations between the two municipalities began during the presentation of the Playa del Carmen City Brand and continued at the International Tourism Fair (FITUR) in Madrid, where both delegations agreed on the interest in developing a joint agenda focused on business and cultural strengthening.
Key areas of collaboration include twinning the traditional Fiestas del Carmen celebrated in both localities to boost cultural and tourism exchange between Mexico and Spain. The agreement also proposes joint actions to promote creative industries, sustainable design, and innovation initiatives, leveraging the experience both destinations have accumulated in tourism, culture, and services.
Another topic discussed was strategies to attract digital nomads, a segment that has gained international relevance and represents an opportunity to diversify the local economy by attracting remote professionals who stay for extended periods in tourist destinations.
The agenda also includes collaboration between business communities from both municipalities, exchange of best practices in sustainability, and strengthening activities related to sustainable agribusiness and artisanal fishing. In the latter area, the plan is to share experiences with agricultural cooperative models, local product marketing, and mechanisms to generate greater added value for regional economies.
The municipal government said these approaches are part of a strategy to expand Playa del Carmen’s international presence through alliances with cities that share economic and tourism characteristics, seeking to generate investment opportunities, knowledge exchange, and joint project development.
If the sister city agreement is finalized, Playa del Carmen and Santa Eulària des Riu would establish a permanent framework for institutional cooperation, allowing the development of cultural, business, and tourism promotion programs, as well as facilitating the exchange of experiences in innovation, economic development, and sustainability.
