Jessica de León, Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, stated in her speech at the 6th edition of the Global South Forum that the Canary Islands are already thinking about the future.
She highlighted the importance of making decisions beyond political colors, focusing on people, the planet, purpose, and prosperity, the 4 "Ps" that futurist Gerd Leonhard referred to in the previous presentation. In line with the "revolutions" proposed by Leonhard, Jessica de León mentioned the actions of the Canary Islands in accordance with them:
• Thinking Green: De León highlighted the climate change strategy to decarbonize the industry and turn the destination into a "tricontinental hub." She emphasizes that the green model is an "opportunity, not a restriction." She mentioned the free tool "Journey to Decarbonization," certified by AENOR, which helps tourism companies become more efficient in energy, water, and waste. More than 80 Canarian companies have already completed this process.
• Control of tourist flows, not as a restriction, but as a necessity that improves the customer experience and addresses problems such as water, energy, and housing. She highlighted that Lanzarote was a pioneer in sustainability with the UNESCO sustainable development charter 30 years ago.
• Regenerative Tourism: The Canary Islands aspire to go beyond sustainability, seeking a tourism and a Canary Islands that are "regenerative."
• Blue Tourism, to take advantage of the sea as a source of wealth. She mentioned a project with Canarian universities and the CSIC to measure water quality and the origin of microplastics. The hypothesis that the beaches of the Canary Islands are carbon sinks due to unique minerals is also being investigated.
• Conversion of the tourism product, such as support for product clubs like Buenamar Canarias to develop "fishing-tourism."
People at the center
Jessica de León emphasized that the government's action puts people at the center. "Tourism is not the goal, but the tool to improve the lives of the Canarians." For this reason, regulatory changes are being promoted to control flows and renovate obsolete spaces without consuming new land. She proposes the "cathedral model," where political decisions are not short-term, but build a long-term future (30 years) with consensus.
Regarding AI, Promotur and the Canary Islands are working on a free project for the tourism sector. She emphasizes that the traveler of the future will ask AI how to enjoy their experience, and companies must digitize and optimize the routine with AI to focus on customer service, because the tourism experience is what will differentiate the destination. She mentioned practical workshops where it was demonstrated how only digitized companies appear in the recommendations of IA24. She presented a Canary Islands marketplace to connect small and medium-sized companies with meta-search engines for tourist experiences at zero cost. They are also designing a tool to control flows in real time, allowing tourists to decide where to go based on overcrowding.
Regarding intelligent taxation, she mentioned that Lanzarote already collects 60 million euros in its Art, Culture and Tourism Centers, generating 728 jobs. She proposes a public-private compensation fund for regeneration projects, where large corporations and tourist donations contribute to regenerating public spaces. She recalled that the tourism industry already pays many taxes (IGIC, IBI, IAE, garbage and sewage fees).
The infrastructure strategy must be comprehensive and focused on the product of each island, not just municipal works. The Canary Islands is participating in a pilot project to scan climate risks to invest in infrastructure necessary for the future (climate shelters, shade areas, demountable infrastructure). Finally, she warned about negative vegetative growth and the aging of the population, which implies adapting the destination to older clients with mobility problems
