The Canary Islands Government has sparked debate about the efficiency of public spending after granting a €30.000 subsidy for the development of a paragliding video game. The resolution, signed by the Canary Islands Government's Minister of Universities, Science, and Innovation, Migdalia Machín, allocates these funds to the creation of a prototype for hotel entertainment that promotes the islands' landscapes. The beneficiary of this aid is Turismo Innova Gran Canaria. Founded in 2009 to promote tourism innovation, its news and corporate updates section had been completely inactive since 2022. Despite this informational hiatus, the group has managed to secure this regional funding for a project that aims to "improve knowledge of the islands" through virtual reality or aerial simulation in accommodation establishments.
The organization is closely linked to the Gran Canaria Island Council, with its executive committee including key figures from the island corporation such as the managing director of the Gran Canaria Tourism Board, Pablo Llinares, and the manager of Infecar, Natalia Hernández. This connection is striking at a time when the island institution, governed by NC and PSOE, has historically rejected financial contributions from the regional government (CC-PP) for events like Moda Cálida to avoid sharing the political spotlight.
The business cluster has opted for silence. Despite this newspaper's attempts to obtain an official statement regarding the video game's technical feasibility and the justification for a budget that is one hundred times higher than market prices, Turismo Innova Gran Canaria has not responded. Meanwhile, the entity's transparency portal remains stuck on the 2021 fiscal year, leaving open the question of how a structure linked to the Island Council has been chosen to execute a tourism promotion project under the Canary Islands Government's banner.
The board of directors includes figures from the academic and business sectors, such as Juan Manuel Benítez, from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria; José Luis Echevarría Navarro, from Limonium Canarias; José Alba, representing Lopesan; Saulo Rodríguez, from Poema del Mar; and Marta González, from Hospitales Perpetuo Socorro. The president is Santiago de Armas, president of the oversight committee of IFA Hotels, Lopesan.
