The Government of the Canary Islands, along with local councils, joins the national movement promoted by Exceltur to promote tourism that generates more social and economic value, with transparency and dialogue with residents.
Canarian tourism, a driving force representing 37.7% of the regional economy, is now seeking greater social recognition. The Deputy Minister of Tourism, José Manuel Sanabria, presented the islands' adherence to the 'Tourism that Adds' movement on Wednesday, an initiative by the Alliance for Tourism Excellence (Exceltur) aimed at fostering a shared vision among businesses, administrations, and citizens regarding the future of the sector.
At the event held in Tenerife, Sanabria was accompanied by the Vice President of Exceltur, Óscar Perelli, and the Vice President of the Association of Tourist Municipalities of the Canary Islands (AMTC), Onalia Bueno. The initiative was also supported by representatives from the island councils and business associations, in a gesture of unity to strengthen dialogue with the population.
Data that speaks: tourism generates 42.3% of employment in the Canary Islands
Sanabria highlighted that tourism has been determining in the economic and social development of the archipelago. According to the data provided, the sector has generated 47.6% of the economic activity growth since 2019, reaching a tourism GDP of 23.375 million euros in the last year, equivalent to 37.7% of the total regional economy. Additionally, it employs 413,064 people, which accounts for 42.3% of total employment in the Canary Islands.
“At Tourism of the Canary Islands, we work intensively to ensure that citizens better understand the role that tourism plays in our society, and there is no better way to explain with data what this sector contributes to the development of our land,” Sanabria stated during the presentation. The Deputy Minister emphasized that the sector's leadership “requires strengthening dialogue with citizens, with whom we want to share transparently how the sector is evolving.”
Exceltur and municipalities, allies in transparency
Óscar Perelli, Vice President of Exceltur, explained that 'Tourism that Adds' is an initiative “capable of bringing together businesses, associations, and administrations around a shared vision of the future of tourism and its contribution to the country's economic and social development.” Perelli noted that the movement “aims to respond with concrete examples of successful cases to the challenge of generating tourism with greater value, social contribution, and environmental commitment.”
For her part, Onalia Bueno, representing the tourist municipalities, stated that “the Canary Islands has demonstrated that tourism is a source of prosperity, but we also know that the future lies in doing it better and better.” According to Bueno, the initiative “reflects the commitment of administrations and the private sector to move towards a model that generates more value for our municipalities and a better quality of life for those who live in them.”
The movement is structured around a shared manifesto and a set of commitments that include responsible practices, transparency, sustainability, and a greater connection between tourism and citizens. On the website www.turismoquesuma.es, more than a hundred good practices from companies and destinations are already showcased, covering everything from the preservation of natural heritage to the intelligent management of visitor flows.
A campaign for the conscious visitor: 'Here We Live'
Coinciding with the launch, the initiative has launched the campaign 'Here We Live', aimed primarily at tourists. Under this slogan, it is reminded that tourist destinations are also places where people live, work, and carry out their daily lives, promoting respect for local communities and positive coexistence between residents and visitors.
Tourism of the Canary Islands has been developing a communication strategy in recent years to bring citizens closer to the real impact of the sector. Joining 'Tourism that Adds' represents a further step in that direction, with the support of councils and business associations. For the average citizen, this translates into greater information about how tourism contributes to their well-being and the improvement of services and infrastructure in the islands.
The next step will be the dissemination of the initiative's contents in the tourist municipalities of the Canary Islands, with awareness actions and open debate forums for citizen participation. Sanabria concluded that “tourism has been determining in the economic and social development of our land and will continue to be so in the future, but that leadership also requires strengthening dialogue with citizens.”
You may also like
