Tourism and Employment sets the objective of reducing the unemployment rate

 

De León stated that, in general terms, this budget is intended to “consolidate tourism diversification and ensure that tourism develops as a driver of the primary sector, digitalization, sustainability, talent acquisition and training,” he noted. In the area of ​​Employment, the objective of the Ministry is to “reduce and bring the unemployment rate below 15%, cover the needs of those groups that present greater difficulties in finding work, reinforce the stability of active workers and business capacity, and commit to the modernization of the Canary Islands Employment Service (SCE).”

 

By department, the Vice-Ministry of Tourism has a global budget of 6,8 million euros that will be allocated to highlighting rural heritage and nature tourism of the Archipelago with a boost to the Tourist Observatory, which will have 1,2 million euros. The increase in the contribution to tourism research to the Canary Islands Universities through the Museum of Science and Technology Foundation is also contemplated, with 1,8 million euros.

 

In addition, the Ministry of Tourism and Employment allocates 62 million euros in its budgets for investments in infrastructure, of which 39 million correspond to Next Generation funds, in extrapeninsular areas. Regarding the General Directorate of Tourism Planning, Training and Promotion, the counselor specified that "two calls will be opened in non-competitive competition for infrastructures, one for the public sector and another for public-private collaboration."

 

 

De León stated during his appearance that "the level of execution of infrastructure is very low, works are painted that have no land, that are mere ideas, so our great objective is not to return anything to the State and that the Canaries and the sector see that money is translated into actions.”

 

For the Promotion of inland tourism "more than 4 million euros will be allocated, while 1,5 million euros will be contemplated for the Green Islands Tourism Development Program."

 

And regarding the Planning area, the counselor was clear when stating that “the regulatory block that regulates tourism activity is between 8 and 27 years old and in 2023 it is not efficient in the face of a different tourism reality, in which the entire society calls for changes and regulation of a tourism model that increasingly moves towards a more sustainable direction with a new Tourism Law.”

 

In training, he also referred to a new regulation of professional qualifications for the performance of active tourism, “including basic training activities in relation to the new qualifications for this purpose,” he specified.

 

For the coming years, the public company Hoteles Escuela de Canarias (Hecansa) has a budget of 6 million euros, to which is added 9 million from the Recovery and Resilience Mechanism (MMR) and 2 million more euros from MMR funds but destined for investments in a reference center in Santa Brígida as a complement to what currently exists.

 

Jéssica de León also explained that intensive Dual Vocational Training will be promoted in the tourism sector; the reinforcement of research in hospitality (R+D+i), the Regional Gastronomic Diffusion Plan; training and youth employment linked to experiential tourism; the transformation in Hecansa's production model, the modernization of its technical infrastructure, technological facilities and the renewal of dual training spaces, as well as the promotion of training in circular and blue economy with a budget allocation of 500.000 euros .

 

The public company Promotur Turismo Islas Canarias will have a budget of 66 million euros, almost 14 million euros more, which represents 26% compared to 2023 of 13,5 million euros, which will be allocated to promotion, digitalization, sustainability and improvement of the tourism offer.

 

In this sense, the Minister of Tourism and Employment delved into each of these lines, explaining that the one referring to the promotion, endowed with 22,5 million euros, is aimed at generating demand, including actions to attract visitors. , promote their consumption of products, services and tourist experiences and the loyalty, repetition and prescription of the tourist, both directly and personalized to the current or potential tourist, and through intermediaries.

 

This line includes the Blue Tourism strategic plan, the own media management plan, including the integration of the websites into a single multi-brand digital infrastructure or the communication and loyalty plan.

 

Regarding sustainability, De León highlighted the objective of “achieving climate neutrality of tourism activity in the Canary Islands in line with the 2030 Agenda and the Glasgow Declaration and promoting awareness, knowledge and improvement of the triple impact that tourism activity produces on the territory, population and economy of the Islands.”

 

In the line of digitalization, which aims to advance the Canary Islands Tourist Destination Platform, the counselor pointed out as the main milestones the launch of the solutions: the journey towards decarbonization (this month of November), the Marketplace of tourist experiences ( first quarter of 2024) or the Data Lake associated with the platform.

 

Regarding the line of improvement of the offer, its purpose is to promote improvements in the tourist offer of the Canary Islands, understood as the set of resources, infrastructure, services, products and experiences that are located in the destination or that facilitate access to it for its visitors. "In this line we find the Program through a public call for sponsorship of productions, activities and projects that generate an advertising return, the Plan to promote and improve air connectivity and the Project Management Plan to improve tourism products," he stated.

 

Canarian Employment Service (SCE)

The Minister of Tourism and Employment explained that the Canary Islands Employment Service (SCE), with a budget of 339 million euros, will have a significant endowment of 14 million euros for the improvement and modernization of the facilities and offices to facilitate the approach of citizens to public employment services.

 

Regarding the different programs, the 'Job insertion and reintegration of the unemployed' will have 234 million euros. “Its purpose is to encourage, improve and promote employment in the Autonomous Community of the Canary Islands, fight against unemployment and cover the training needs of unemployed and employed workers, giving priority to those groups that present greater difficulties in finding employment. “said the counselor.

 

Therefore, this program is the one with the largest budget allocation, representing 69,05% of the expenditure budget.

 

The 'Strengthening employment stability and adaptability' program will have an allocation of nearly 16 million, greater than that allocated in the current budget.

 

“We cannot forget the employed workers, who require continuous training to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances of the labor market, thus preserving their employment asset status. This program is intended for them,” he announced.

 

In addition, the funding for entrepreneurship 'Strengthening business capacity' is close to 23 million euros. Jessica de León highlighted that “we cannot stop only with self-employment: self-employment is also becoming more and more prevalent.” Therefore, these actions will be aimed at promoting business initiatives, self-employment and the social economy.

 

Finally, he highlighted the 'Labor integration of people with special difficulties' program, with 20,3 million euros, 6% of the budget.

 

The Vice-Ministry of Employment and the General Directorate of Labor allocate 240.000 euros to the Program to Fight the Shadow Economy and Prevention and Training in Occupational Risks with one million euros.