The Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Lanzarote External Promotion Society (SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote), and the Local Public Business Entity Centers of Art, Culture, and Tourism (EPEL–CACT) have signed this Monday an inter-administrative agreement to develop the actions planned in the Strategic Plan for the Enogastronomic Product of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, and to coordinate the organization of the next Saborea Lanzarote 2026 Enogastronomic Festival.
The meeting with the island's enogastronomic sector, held prior to the signing at the Monumento al Campesino, served for representatives and agents of the sector to agree on highlighting the importance of the Saborea Lanzarote Festival as a platform for giving visibility to local products, the island's authentic hallmark. They emphasized that this initiative not only promotes local produce but also strengthens sector cohesion, generates economic opportunities, and reinforces the cultural and tourist projection of Lanzarote and La Graciosa.
After signing the agreement, the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, stated that "the primary sector and our gastronomic culture are an essential part of the island's identity. This agreement allows us to advance in a development model that cares for the territory, generates opportunities, and reinforces the value of local produce. Enogastronomy is today a real way to diversify, create employment, and showcase a sustainable destination that respects its landscape and tradition to the world."
Economic impact reaching 12 million euros
During his speech, Betancort added that "Saborea Lanzarote is much more than a festival; it is a meeting point for producers, chefs, and winemakers, and a space where we recognize their talent and careers. With this agreement, we guarantee that this event, which last year achieved an economic impact of 12 million euros, will continue to grow and consolidate nationally and internationally."According to the Minister of Economic Promotion, Nori Machín, "with this agreement, we will continue to boost economic activity linked to our local product, strengthening small businesses, the primary sector, and all initiatives that generate value from the territory." "Betting on enogastronomy," Machín stressed, "is betting on a model that diversifies, professionalizes, and opens new opportunities for those who undertake and work on the island."For his part, the CACT advisor, Ángel Vázquez, highlighted that "the Centers maintain a firm commitment to the culture of the territory, to local produce, and to the integrating vision that César Manrique always defended. This agreement will allow us to articulate actions that connect gastronomy, landscape, and culture, and that reinforce the uniqueness of Lanzarote."
In the words of the CEO of SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández, “this agreement creates a stable framework for continuing to develop a differentiated product, with its own narrative that sets us apart in the national and international tourism arena. Gastronomy has become a decisive factor in travelers' choices, and Lanzarote has a unique offering that we must continue to organize, coordinate, and promote”.
Renewed and structured collaboration
The agreement establishes the creation of a Monitoring Commission made up of representatives from the Cabildo de Lanzarote, SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, and EPEL–CACT, which will be the body responsible for overseeing compliance with the agreement, the correct coordination between the parties, and the evaluation of the actions executed. Likewise, it clearly defines the responsibilities of each entity in terms of administrative contracting, technical supervision, and operational management, so that each institution assumes the direct financing of the actions corresponding to it, without any economic transfer between the parties.
Said agreement also **regulates the collaboration** between the parties for the development of the next Saborea Lanzarote 2026 Gastronomic Festival, which is expected to be held between November 28 and 29 in the Villa de Teguise.
"An event," as the president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, points out, "that not only energizes our economy and employment, but also contributes to the cohesion of the enogastronomic ecosystem, to the recognition of local products and cuisine, to cultural projection, and to the national and international positioning of Lanzarote and La Graciosa as unique destinations in the world."
