It has always been a source of pride for our people that relevant personalities visit us and are amazed by our land. Logical, because their stay here makes the major media focus on Lanzarote, which becomes an invaluable promotion for an island that lives on tourism.
We are fortunate to have La Mareta, a residence located in Costa Teguise, by the sea, which belongs to the National Heritage of the State. This house was put at the service of the tourist interests of Spain, which makes it possible for leaders or representatives of international institutions to be invited to stay in it to promote the Spain brand, in general, and the Canary Islands and Lanzarote, in particular.
On this occasion, the President of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, who has already been a tenant of the government residence of La Mareta, honors us with his visit again. Before him, other presidents such as Felipe González, José María Aznar and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero stayed there, although those who have frequented the house the most are the members of the Royal Family. On all those occasions, Lanzarote grabbed headlines and now the same thing happens.
Those of us who live here will act as always, trying to respect the rest and privacy of the president and his family with the sincere wish that the weather will accompany them so that they can fully enjoy the sea, the beaches, the gastronomy, the landscapes and the places of tourist interest. Later, we will once again feel the pride on our skin when we hear him speak well of Lanzarote and express his intention to return to the island soon.
How can we not feel proud? Let's think that the pandemic caused a 70% drop in tourism and we lost more than two million visitors last year, causing a collapse of almost 30 points in the island's Gross Domestic Product, the closure of accommodation establishments, the disappearance of one in ten companies, the increase in unemployment above 25 percent, and that a large number of companies and workers took advantage of Temporary Employment Regulation Files.
When it seems that we have already passed the worst, we have placed our hopes on vaccination continuing to progress so that tourism recovers as soon as possible and we can reach the levels of economic activity and employment prior to the pandemic. Everything adds up so that we can achieve that goal, including the fact that the president has chosen Lanzarote to rest for a few days.
Therefore, we perceive the mere presence of Pedro Sánchez as a gesture of affection and support towards Lanzarote and the Canary Islands after the harsh punishment to which the coronavirus has subjected us. An affection and support that I am sure will materialize with the firm support of the President of Spain on the path of recovery and transformation of Lanzarote in the coming years.
María Dolores Corujo Berriel, President of the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
