The Canary Islands Economic and Social Council (CES) this week validated the strategic importance of the manufacturing industry with a significant visit to the Dos Santos factory. The meeting, which took place on February 11, not only served to tour the production lines but also to confirm the resilience of a sector that, despite regulatory pressures, remains a pillar of employment and the archipelago's productive identity.
For southern Gran Canaria, this visit has a direct economic impact. Much of the viability of this industry lies in its strength in tourist areas. Canarian tobacco has established itself as a high-value-added product that European visitors actively seek out in coastal areas; a quality souvenir that injects essential revenue to sustain the factory's cost structure and maintain its local workforce.
During the tour, the board members were able to see how the plant has balanced its historical roots with the technological modernization necessary to compete in the global market. Dos Santos' management emphasized that the ability to generate employment—both directly at the factory and indirectly through logistics and commerce in tourist areas—is what provides stability to this sector in the face of the fluctuations of other, less tangible economic drivers.
The Canary Islands Economic and Social Council (CES) concluded the day by reinforcing its commitment to bringing these demands to the attention of decision-making bodies. Understanding that the Canary Islands tobacco industry depends on its symbiotic relationship with the service sector and tourism is vital for developing proposals that ensure its sustainability. In a context of uncertainty, protecting companies that transform tradition into an exportable product desired by visitors is, according to the Council, a priority for the balance of the island's economy.
