The Vice President of the Canary Islands Government and Minister of Economy, Industry, Commerce and Self-Employed, Manuel Domínguez, and the Minister of Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, presided this Thursday over the awards ceremony of the Canary Islands Tourism Awards 2024, which highlight the work and effort of the people who work in the sector, on the occasion of World Tourism Day, which is celebrated every September 27th.
In this edition, one of the awards has gone to Lanzarote, specifically to the Foreign Promotion Society of Lanzarote-Tourism of Lanzarote (SPEL-Lanzarote), in recognition of its 18 years of experience.
The rest have gone to the media outlet Tourinews, with the Award for Tourist Excellence; the island of El Hierro, in the category of Sustainable Destination; the agro-ecological company Serviagroc, for its contribution to Sustainable Employment; and the businessman Tom Smulders, with the Award for Accessibility and Inclusivity. The winners have been chosen by the jury from a total of sixty-four candidates.
Domínguez reaffirmed the Government's commitment to "continue building a tourism model that prioritizes quality in jobs and puts the well-being of residents at the center", an objective that is necessary, he pointed out, "if we want to continue enjoying this privileged place that is the Canary Islands".
At the event, held at Infecar Feria de Gran Canaria, the vice president argued that "we have one of the best tourism industries in the world", a sector that generates 35% of the islands' GDP and more than 340,000 direct jobs. However, he stressed the importance of adapting the tourism sector to the current Canary Islands. In this sense, he recalled that the awards represent this year "a before and after", since they have been modernized to include among their categories fundamental elements such as sustainability, innovation, accessibility and inclusivity. "We are living in new times in all areas and tourism is no exception. We can only continue to progress if the Canary Islands stop thinking about 'I' and start thinking about 'we', and thus build a better archipelago for future generations," he said.
In addition, he stressed the importance of quality within the tourism sector, highlighting its fundamental role in the drive towards sustainability. During her speech, Jéssica de León stated that "tourism is about people", and therefore, she paid tribute "to the people who work in the sector and who every day make the Canary Islands a better place. Men and women like the journalists, designers, photographers or computer scientists of Tourinews, a specialized media, with a Canarian signature and accent, necessary for an industry in constant transformation", distinguished with the recognition of Tourist Excellence.
"Also people like the agricultural laborers, agricultural engineers or guides who work on the Serviagroc farm, in the south of Tenerife." To that farm, explained the minister, the organic waste from more than twelve hotels arrives, is converted into compost and is used in the cultivation of organic products that return, later, to the kitchens of hotel establishments. A project that has led the company to win the award for Sustainable Employment.
Regarding El Hierro, which received the distinction of Sustainable Tourist Destination, the minister valued "the determined commitment it has made to become the first island in the archipelago with zero emissions before the end of 2026, through a pilot program that we will develop together with Turismo Islas Canarias and the Island Council, and which we hope to extrapolate to the rest of the micro-destinations".
In the award for Accessibility and Inclusivity, De León highlighted the vision of the businessman Tom Smulders, who "knew how to see in the tolerance and respect of the Canarians an opportunity to promote the LGTBI+ segment", turning Gran Canaria into one of the favorite tourist destinations of the group. She also praised the work that the Foreign Promotion Society of Lanzarote (SPEL) has carried out in its more than 18 years of experience, and which has allowed the island to take firm steps towards the premium segment. An achievement that would have been impossible, she pointed out, without its workers. "All of them make the Canary Islands a better place. Because yes, tourism makes the Canary Islands a better place. And the great challenge we have ahead in the Canary Islands is about the Canarians," she concluded.
