The historical event has not been overlooked given that the south of Gran Canaria also belongs to them. They are not a minority, they have always been with us. The municipal authorities of San Bartolomé de Tirajana finalize an institutional declaration of tribute to the Scandinavian community of the island of Gran Canaria, which has areas such as San Agustín or Arguineguín in the case of Mogán as the main tourist destination of this market in winter periods . But where Nordic tourism emerged in Spain was in San Agustín. It arrived during the period of the dictatorship and that is why it could not register as an association until the end of 1973. It is not known if it will only be an institutional declaration or an official high-level meeting.
The Scandinavian Club has representation in San Agustín for the southern zone. This group unites and helps improve the projection of the destination. The change of management in the south of Gran Canaria since the summer has caused the delay until the end of 2023 of recognitions as a tribute to Theo Gerlach for the 50 years of his first business operations in the south of the island or the presence itself in the south of Gran Canaria and the Nordic Community. Tourism in Gran Canaria is inevitably linked to the presence of the Swedish community and, above all, to the foresight of those first businessmen from the Nordic country who saw the enormous possibilities that the south of the island had. In recent years there have been consolidated events on the island such as the celebration, in Santa Lucía de Tirajana, every December 13, where the Swedish Lucía, symbol of light in Sweden, participates.
Likewise, among its many outstanding members in the history of Gran Canaria, we must highlight the role played by the botanist Eric Sventenius, who carried out the Viera y Clavijo Botanical Garden project in the 50s and whose direction he also held. . There are areas of the island, such as the coast of San Agustín, where the Swedish presence and its ability to glimpse tourism development were decisive. The Scandinavian Club is a cultural association launched since 1973 to promote knowledge of Nordic tourism. It was founded in the mid-60s. The first statutes date back to December 31, 1965. By then, a Swedish club had already been operating for several years. The pioneers founded a Swedish school and a Swedish congregation was formed. At that time, the club borrowed a small premises free of charge so that members would have a place to meet. Later they rented a small place on Pascual Street in Las Palmas and there was an issuing and reading room.
On October 4, 1973, the club's statutes were approved by the Government of Las Palmas. This was during the Franco era and government affairs were very complicated. That same year, the club received permission from the authorities to carry out so-called association flights, that is, to be able to rent its own planes directly from airlines. There were many travelers and the association's finances were improving. In 1977 the current premises on Manuel González Martín street in Las Palmas were acquired. Financing was resolved, among other things, through debt obligations with partners. These were then exchanged over several years.
The association's statutes were reviewed in the early 2000s and approved by the Government of the Canary Islands on October 28, 2005. In San Agustín, the club rents premises in the Monte Rojo tourist complex. During the October/April period, the business develops with a large number of activities. In both locations there are well-stocked libraries that, in addition to the usual books, also offer talking books and DVD movies.
Members of the Scandinavian Club of Gran Canaria 
