The Lanzarote Island Council, led by its president, Oswaldo Betancort, has received a prominent delegation from San Antonio, Texas, in an event that highlights the deep historical ties between both territories.
The delegation, headed by Freddie Bustillo, president of the Association of Descendants of the Canary Islands in San Antonio, and Steve Chiscano, Honorary Consul of Spain in the Texan city, included key figures from the business, cultural and gastronomic fields, such as Tanji Patton, TV presenter; Michael Cash, TV producer; Sergio Remolina, chef at the Hotel Emma and the Pearl Group; Anneliese Bustillo; Joshua Jared Cowan; Gloria Bustillo; Óscar Pérez; José María González López; and Rolando Pablos, businessmen from Cross National Partners.
The visit is part of the Lanzarote Global strategy, an initiative of the Island Council to consolidate and expand the island's presence in the US market, with a special focus on Texas. This strategy is based on five key pillars: historical and cultural relations, sustainable tourism, economic and commercial relations, artistic education and knowledge, and technological innovation.
President Oswaldo Betancort stressed that "honoring this shared legacy and building new opportunities with Texas is fundamental to positioning Lanzarote as a benchmark in sustainability, culture and international cooperation".
In addition, Ángel Vázquez, CEO of the Art, Culture and Tourism Centers (CACT), stressed that "Lanzarote leads in quality tourism, and we want this experience to translate into a deeper connection with the Texan market".
As part of the project in the more commercial sphere, José Valle, as president of the Lanzarote Chamber of Commerce, added: "This relationship is not only historical, but an economic opportunity to promote iconic products of our land such as wines, cheeses and aloe vera in the United States".
A living heritage with emblematic projects
The relationship between Lanzarote and Texas dates back to the 18th century, when Canarian families, many of them from Lanzarote, left for what is now San Antonio, Texas. These Canary Islanders were invited by the Spanish government to establish a colony in the region, helping to expand and defend the northern border of New Spain.
Upon their arrival, these families founded the first civil government in Texas, basing their organization on the Island Councils system of the Canary Islands. The families from Lanzarote, along with other Canarians, were pioneers in the creation of a Hispanic identity in Texas, leaving a legacy in the political organization, the system of values and the cultural heritage of San Antonio. This legacy remains alive today in celebrations such as Islanders' Day and monuments such as the Plaza de las Islas Canarias and the Monument to the Founders.
This historical relationship gives Lanzarote a unique opportunity to position itself in the United States, and especially in Texas, as a cultural, sustainability and high-value tourism reference, strengthening ties through a cooperation strategy that includes cultural, economic and educational aspects.
In this sense, Steve Chiscano, stressed that "this act is the continuation of the dream of my father, Dr. Alfonso Chiscano, who worked tirelessly to build this bridge between both worlds. Today we continue to advance in that mission".
For his part, Freddie Bustillo announced an ambitious cultural project: the creation of a mural in the Plaza Islas Canarias in San Antonio that will represent the eight islands on a blue sea and a lava wall, in honor of Lanzarote, which would be a symbol of the historical connection between the Canary Islands and Texas.
United States, a strategic market
The United States is a strategic market for Lanzarote, both in terms of tourism and trade. US tourism to Europe has shown sustained growth, with high-spending tourists in Texas looking for authentic, exclusive and culturally rich destinations. Texas, with the 11th largest economy in the world, is a key region for establishing solid commercial and tourist relations, and offers a bridge to the Hispanic American market, taking advantage of the cultural ties shared with the Canary Islands and Spain.
Texas, in addition, is a gateway to Latin America, which makes Lanzarote a platform to connect with Hispanic communities in the United States and Latin America, promoting the island as a model of sustainability and high-value cultural tourism. The United States is the largest market in the world for food and beverage products, with a growing demand for high quality and differentiated products. The US consumer increasingly values imported products and their authenticity, which represents a unique opportunity for Spanish products.
"In addition, the US market is experiencing an evolution towards sustainability and healthy products, aligning with global consumption trends that benefit quality Spanish products. The US market is strategic for Lanzarote due to several key reasons: search for different tourist destinations with high spending capacity, connection strategies, cooperation, economic promotion with Texas, USA; in addition to the growing interest in the Spain brand", they explain.
Lanzarote Global: pillars and actions
The Lanzarote Global Strategy is organized into five fundamental blocks: Historical and Cultural Relations, Economic and Commercial Relations, Tourist Relations, Artistic and Educational Relations and Knowledge and Innovation Relations.
Each of the blocks includes a series of strategic actions to be advanced in the coming months to continue building this relationship in the future: such as allocating the Casa Torres in Teguise as a museum that tells the story of the families from Lanzarote in Texas, collaborating with the El Álamo museum in Texas to exhibit historical artifacts and documents of the Canarian migration; the creation of the USA-Canarias Society Foundation; twinning program between Lanzarote and San Antonio; recognizing people and institutions that promote Canarian values in the United States; promotion of Lanzarote products in Texas, among others.
