The new tourist imposes a change in the industry under sustainable criteria in which the need to make visible and convey to the client the virtues and attributes of the destination in matters of sustainability prevails.
Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit, a Gran Canaria Tourism communication and marketing initiative, celebrated its eleventh edition this Thursday with a lineup of luxury speakers and focusing on its triple aspect and concretized under the name of 'Marketing of the Triple C : Climate, Corporate Culture and Community'
The international tourism industry finds itself at a sort of crossroads. Sustainability is a structural element that has emerged with enormous weight and significance among the main criteria when planning vacations, in such a way that the destination, company or service in the sector that does not adapt and, above all, learn to communicate its virtues and attributes, in short, reaching potential tourists with their own information, will disappear for a majority of the clientele.
Faced with this challenge and with the intention of providing successful experiences to Gran Canaria professionals, the eleventh edition of the Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit was held on the morning of this Thursday, November 16, in the Alfredo Kraus Auditorium, with about 500 participants and the presence of Antonio Morales, president of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, Minister of Tourism, and a lineup of speakers who are a reference for the sector. Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit, a proposal from Gran Canaria Tourism, has established itself as one of the most prominent national events on communication and marketing in the tourism sector.
“Sustainability must be the present and future of Gran Canaria. We deserve to live in the best possible place and this is a key factor to continue being positioned as one of the best tourist destinations in the world. We want to build a comprehensive tourist identity,” said Morales at the opening ceremony that took place on the stage of the Jerónimo Saavedra Room of the Gran Canaria Auditorium.
“Sustainability is not a passing fad,” warned counselor Carlos Álamo. “It is a reality that the client demands and demands. It is a new tourist, increasingly the majority, who focuses not only on the classic tourist attractions but also on the impact or footprint that their vacation stay generates on the environment and, based on these principles, they will choose the destination that ensures a lower impact, therefore it is a question of adapting or losing competitiveness," added Álamo, before adding that "in many cases we have seen that it is more a problem of communicating and reaching the client with the things we are already doing and therefore That is why we propose success stories and the experiences of their protagonists to develop their own initiatives and avoid negative concepts and the lack of ethics and rigor of greenwashing.”
This year's theme, in the eleventh edition of Overbooking, revolved around the concept of sustainability, focusing on its triple aspect and concretized under the name 'Triple C Marketing: Climate, Corporate Culture and Community'. “We are working on the development of an eco-island based on the balance between society, the economy and the environment. For our island, being a sustainable territory is a guarantee of survival in all dimensions,” explained Antonio Morales. Under this triple classification, the principles of sustainability refer to the environmental, economic and sociocultural aspects of tourism development, so it is necessary to establish an adequate balance between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability and profitability.
Morales explained that attention to the climate implies the adoption of sustainable practices that preserve the natural environment of our island. This is not only essential to continue projecting a consolidated image of the destination in the long term, but also attracts tourists looking for experiences that respect the environment.
“Tourism companies that adopt responsible and sustainable practices, thus creating a corporate culture from the inside out, not only contribute to the well-being of the destination, but also attract tourists who seek to support socially responsible businesses,” said the president of Gran Canaria.
The congress brought together prominent professionals from the sector, who debated the latest trends, contributed new ideas and shared successful experiences from various companies. Through real cases, they explored which audiences show greater affinity towards sustainable initiatives, what strategies companies adopt and what commitments brands make.
Among the participants of OVB'23, the presence of Félix Muñoz, consultant and professor of Marketing and Communication at IE Business School, as well as former Marketing Director of Coca-Cola Spain, stood out. From his experience in important multinationals, he addressed 'The pros and cons of integrating ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) criteria into a company's marketing', which will be the title of his presentation. Martínez pointed out the importance of combining environmental sustainability with social sustainability “without neglecting business experiences because they work as a transmission belt.”
Ricardo Pérez, brand director of Kantar, offered his vision on the value and power of brands in a presentation called 'Most valuable Spanish brands: how sustainability helps them be stronger'. “For the tourism sector, it is essential to invest in its brand and sustainability is part of a virtuous circle that adds value and strengthens the brand,” he explained.
Didier Lagae is an expert in reputation management and brand building, fully committed to contributing to the fight against climate change. He is founder and CEO of the communication agency MARCO. He proposed using creativity to achieve results and raise awareness about the climate emergency, stating that "If we do not stop global warming there will be no future for anyone" and indicated that leading brands are 'per se' agents of change.
Miguel Carrasco, director of the Tourism, Accessibility and Inclusive Culture area of Tur4all, and Juan Manuel Martínez, director of Green & Human, participated in a debate titled: “How can we transform social challenges into tangible business opportunities?” Carrasco pointed out that a person with accessibility needs takes up to three times longer to organize their vacation, which is why it is prioritized for the sector to “work with accessibility for all people.”
Another speaker was Verónica Zumalacàrregui, food and travel journalist. For her, we must sustain the community and culture by inviting tourists to integrate and live the experience with us. She invited those attending the event to defend the identity of the destination. The community is essential and we must differentiate ourselves, return to the origins and not try to look like others.”
The congress featured a panel discussion, titled, 'Towards a more sustainable travel industry: social innovation network,' in which Hissora Linse, Raquel Traba, both from We go wild travel, and Ibán Jaén, from La Posada del Water.
Finally, Pablo Llinares, managing director of Tourism of Gran Canaria, assured that thematizing the Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit in the Marketing of the Triple C “is something that has a very clear intention: that of bringing together decision-makers from companies to together promote a movement towards that point of change. The consumer asks us to pivot to a new destination model, and that will require a reconversion of the industry. The transformation process must be addressed without delay or we run the risk of being left out of the tourist markets.”
In the tourism industry, Triple C Marketing not only improves brand image, but also responds to growing consumer awareness of the social and environmental impacts of their choices. Highlighting these responsible practices allows tour operators to contribute to a more sustainable and ethical tourism model, without neglecting financial aspects.
With this event, Overbooking Gran Canaria Summit consolidates itself for yet another year as a space for networking, promoting collaboration and learning by bringing together local professionals, businessmen, entrepreneurs and students of the sector. This initiative seeks to promote new opportunities and facilitate enriching dialogues that contribute to progress and innovation in the tourism field.
According to the report from the Canary Islands Tourism Observatory in its 2022 report on “Sustainability of Tourism in the Canary Islands”, 68% of tourists would be willing to spend more on the trip to reduce their carbon footprint.
23% of tourists say they choose the most sustainable options when booking a trip even if this involves some inconvenience. The sustainability issue most valued by tourists is the tolerance of the local population towards tourism (8,56). This is followed by air quality (8,39) and the quality of life perceived on the island (8,09), as well as its cleanliness (8,08).
Other notable evaluations by tourists reside in the ease of mobility in public transport (7,57), the rational consumption of water (7,29) and the use of renewable energy (7,10).
“The future horizon forces us to include sustainability as an essential element of survival for those of us who live in the Canary Islands, but also for the companies and tourist activities that are the driving force of a large part of our development,” said Antonio Morales in his speech.