The facilities of the century-old Bodegas El Grifo hosted the press conference today to announce the celebration of the tenth edition of the International AgroEnotourism Meeting of the Canary Islands. This outstanding event will take place on the island of Lanzarote during May 15, 16 and 17, 2025, establishing itself as a fundamental event to address the crucial theme of sustainability in the emblematic Canarian wine landscape.
The event was attended by Luis Arráez Guadalupe, director of the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality, who highlighted the consolidation of the meeting as an international space for exchange and training in agro-wine tourism, valuing the collaboration between institutions and the commitment to a sustainable model linked to the territory, local product and innovation, especially in the Canary Islands. Isidro Pérez Martín, mayor of San Bartolomé, the municipality that will host the presentation of the pre-meeting awards, highlighted "the honor of being part of an initiative that promotes sustainable development and the valorization of local heritage".
Nori Machín Barrios, Minister of Economic Promotion of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, reaffirmed "the commitment to events that link tourism, agriculture and sustainability, highlighting the heritage value of La Geria and the international recognition of the agricultural and cultural model of the island." Jaime Pérez Fernández, representing Bodegas El Grifo, whose involvement has been fundamental for this edition, stated "his commitment to the promotion of sustainable wine tourism and the enhancement of the unique landscape of La Geria in the year that the winery commemorates 250 years. Gabriel Santos García, deputy director of the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands, highlighted the consolidation of the meeting as a space for dialogue and exchange of knowledge at an international level".
Lanzarote was the first venue for this meeting in 2016, marking the beginning of a path focused on strengthening ties between the primary and tourism sectors under the project "Growing Together" of the Government of the Canary Islands. Since 2019, the Meeting has been part of the annual calendar of the Chair of Agrotourism and Wine Tourism of the Canary Islands, a strategic alliance between the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality and the University of La Laguna. Throughout these years, it has consolidated itself as an essential forum for the exchange of experiences, critical reflection and the creation of synergies around agritourism, wine tourism, gastronomic tourism and rural tourism.
The Meeting with the character of an international congress will bring together more than 70 participants in person, including academics, researchers, experts, producers, entrepreneurs and institutional representatives from the Canary Islands, the peninsula, Brazil, Italy and Portugal. In addition, a large audience is expected to follow the sessions live via streaming, with more than a hundred connections from various countries.
The thematic axes of the 10th edition will focus on wine tourism and sustainability, addressing measurement and management for responsible development; local governance and participatory processes for sustainable wine tourism management; protected agricultural landscapes and agritourism as a conservation tool; and female leadership and the visibility of rural women in agritourism.
More than 30 speakers of recognized prestige will participate in the program, moderated by members of the Chair. These include figures such as Emanuela Panke, president of the Iter Vitis Cultural Route of the Council of Europe; Giorgio Delgrosso, head of Statistics and director of Digital Transformation of the OIV (International Organisation of Vine and Wine); Soeni Bellé, professor at the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Rio Grande do Sul; Sergio Moreno Gil, principal researcher of the Emotur Lab (ULPGC) and José María Gómez Medina, president of the Wine Tourism Cluster of the Canary Islands.
Also Hélder Marques da Silva, researcher at the University of Azores; María Carmen Gracia Sánchez, manager of the Wine Route of Campo de Cariñena; Nereida Pérez González, secretary of the Regulatory Council of the DOP Vinos de Lanzarote; Andrés Hernández García, manager of Salinas de Fuencaliente; Francisco José Fabelo Marrero, head of the Landscape Department of the Cabildo de Lanzarote; Juan Jesús Martín Feo, manager of Bodegas El Grifo; and Juan Albino Méndez Pérez, professor at the University of La Laguna.
The congress program will take place at the Arrecife Gran Hotel & Spa and will be complemented by activities in the Protected Natural Landscape of La Geria, with visits to Bodegas La Geria and the century-old Bodegas El Grifo.
As a prelude to the Meeting, on May 14, the Enogastrotourism Awards of the University of La Laguna will be held at Casa Ajei in the municipality of San Bartolomé, with the presence of authorities and representatives of the sector. The award winners are Bodegas Reverón, Casa del Vino de Tenerife, the oenologist María Elena Batista Herrera and the Protected Designation of Origin of Vinos Gran Canaria.
This edition of the Meeting is supported by the Cabildo de Lanzarote with Turismo Lanzarote, and the Government of the Canary Islands through its General Directorate of Planning, Training and Tourism Promotion, as well as the Canarian Institute of Agri-Food Quality and the City Council of San Bartolomé. Also the collaboration of the public company Gestión del Medio Rural de Canarias with its brand Volcanic Xperience.
These collaborations are joined by Bodegas El Grifo, Bodegas La Geria, the Regulatory Council of the Protected Designation of Origin of Vinos de Lanzarote, the Wine Tourism Cluster of the Canary Islands, the Gran Canaria Wine Route, the Wine Technology Platform (PTV), the Institute of Inclusion and Sustainable Economics of the Canary Islands, and academic institutions such as the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, the Federal Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, the Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro and the Universidad Federal do Pampa.
