The construction sector in southern Gran Canaria is experiencing a period of slowdown, according to activity indicators for the first month of 2026. Wholesale cement sales on the island, a reliable indicator of new construction and renovation projects, have registered a year-on-year drop of 17,3 percent, reaching 12.788 tons. This decline is the most pronounced in the entire archipelago and contrasts with the relative stability of other islands such as Tenerife or the positive growth recorded in Fuerteventura.
The slowdown in the consumption of materials is intrinsically linked to the collapse of public investment in the province of Las Palmas. During January, official tenders in the province reached €54.134.000, representing a 46,8 percent decrease compared to the same period of the previous year. Particularly significant is the contraction in local government—which includes municipalities in the south such as San Bartolomé de Tirajana—where the volume of tendered works has fallen by 73,5 percent, from €58,8 million in 2025 to just €15.584.000 at the start of 2026.
This paralysis in local public works coincides with an unprecedented period of financial recovery for the municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, which has reached a zero-debt situation. However, the absence of financial liabilities has not yet translated into a reactivation of bidding processes to absorb the available cement stock. Currently, Gran Canaria accounts for 31,4 percent of total cement consumption in the Canary Islands, but its negative trend is dragging down the regional indicator, which is falling by an average of 8,1 percent.
For the Maspalomas tourist hub, the challenge is twofold. On the one hand, accommodation establishments must undergo renovations to mitigate the perception of overcrowding (rated 6,37 in importance) and improve the sustainability standards demanded by the European market. On the other hand, the regional government must transform its fiscal surplus into tangible investment. While cement consumption declines, the sector remains attentive to the execution of the €34.489.000 allocated by the regional government in the province, a key allocation for reversing the trend and modernizing the infrastructure that supports the €1.739 per trip spent by package tourists in the south.
