Tourism of the Canary Islands has launched an international campaign praising the archipelago's heritage and identity as differentiating elements of the destination.
Under the name ‘Islas de Leyenda’ (Islands of Legend), seven animated short films inspired by the aboriginal legacy are grouped, with stories deeply linked to the imaginary and cultural heritage, reinterpreted from a contemporary language.
‘Islas de Leyenda’ is structured through seven audiovisual pieces, one minute in duration, which reinterpret emblematic myths of the archipelago using contemporary animation techniques and high-impact visual language. Each episode focuses on a different legend: the Garoé Tree (El Hierro), the Echeyde Demon (Tenerife), the Giant of Mahán (Fuerteventura), the Cuesta de Silva (Gran Canaria), Gara and Jonay (La Gomera), Princess Ico (Lanzarote), and Roberto's Wall (La Palma).
The Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León; the managing director of Turismo de Islas Canarias, José Juan Lorenzo; the director of Product Promotion, Corporate Communication, and Crisis Management of the public company, Mónica Palacios; and the sociologist and journalist Yuri Millares, one of the three experts who guaranteed the rigor of the content, offered the details of this initiative.
“There is often the perception that our efforts are limited to promoting the sun and beach segment, but we have been demonstrating for a long time that this is not the case,” assured De León, “We continue to work on what makes us unique, reinforcing our traditional attributes while positioning our culture and our heritage as differentiating elements of the Canary Islands to the world,” added the minister.
The importance of cultural tourism
In Europe, cultural tourism represents 40% of demand and continues to grow. It is an adult traveler, mainly between 30 and 65 years old, with a medium-high educational level and a strong interest in the history, crafts, gastronomy, and culture of the places they visit.
“We are interested in connecting with this visitor who not only comes to enjoy our islands, but also to understand and respect them,” explained De León. “Major international destinations have managed to turn their history and cultural heritage into recognizable symbols worldwide, and we are also betting on an essential part of our identity, rooting our strategy in the authenticity and richness of our culture,” concluded the counselor.
Each short film has a different technique and aesthetic, although the whole maintains a common narrative identity. Furthermore, the entire sound dimension of the project is particularly noteworthy, with original music that incorporates traditional instruments such as the pito herreño and narration with a Canarian accent for the Spanish market.
Under this same logic of care and rigor, the project also benefited from significant documentary and cultural advisory work to accompany the entire creative process and ensure a respectful connection with the imaginary and identity of the islands. To this end, Turismo de Islas Canarias involved journalist and sociologist Yuri Millares, archaeologist and historian Verónica Alberto, and Doctor of History Javier Velasco.
Millares explained that the work of these experts was to act as a filter and documentary base so that each story had a solid anchor. “We delved into essential written sources, from archives of the mythical magazine Aguayro to publications from the Digital Memory of the Canary Islands archive of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, to research on oral history by Maximiano Trapero.”
The journalist and sociologist explained that, in addition to supervising the narrative, they were also responsible for ensuring that “the visual imaginary of the illustrators was consistent with what science tells us about the first settlers, from their clothing and daily activities to the type of housing, the flora and fauna that surrounded them.”
The campaign has its own space on the destination portal, and will be disseminated in eight European markets (Germany, United Kingdom, mainland Spain, Italy, France, Netherlands, Ireland, and Switzerland) through a digital strategy of multiple audiovisual pieces adapted to different formats and platforms. Likewise, the presence of the short films will be promoted on audiovisual platforms and international animation festivals.
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