Alejandro Marichal: “Gran Canaria’s lower growth in national arrivals is due to the fact that our destination has not diversified or modernised at the same pace as islands like Tenerife or Fuerteventura”
Maspalomas Costa Canaria is consolidating its position as the central hub for tourism in Gran Canaria. This is reflected in the data published by Turismo Gran Canaria in its latest report on the national market, which indicates that 60,43% of national tourists choose the south of the island to stay during their holidays. Of this percentage, 16,98% choose Maspalomas, while 43,45% prefer Playa del Inglés-San Agustín. However, the report also reveals a 15,72% drop in the arrival of national tourists between 2019 and 2024. Although Gran Canaria shows a slight recovery in the short term (+1% between 2022 and 2024), this is happening at a slower pace than in Tenerife (+14,96%) and Fuerteventura (+8,35%).
The first deputy mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Alejandro Marichal, attributes this slowdown to a lack of innovation in the tourist offer. According to Marichal, "Gran Canaria's lower growth may be due to the fact that we have not diversified or modernised our proposals at the same pace as islands such as Tenerife or Fuerteventura, which have been able to adapt better to changes in the preferences of national tourists". This diagnosis is reinforced by the data on the percentage of repeat national tourists in Gran Canaria, which has dropped by 1,5 points: from 64,96% in 2019 to 63,45% in 2024.
“Continuous improvement, modernisation and renovation of public spaces and tourist infrastructure are now more necessary than ever. The loss of competitiveness of Gran Canaria is an unfinished task, a task that must involve not only the San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council, but also the Cabildo de Gran Canaria and the Government of the Canary Islands,” Marichal stresses. From the municipal level, various initiatives have been promoted since 2023, at the beginning of the current legislature. In terms of urban planning, priority has been given to granting licenses that encourage investment and the creation of new tourist infrastructure. In a year and a half, 150 licenses have been granted, highlighting the construction of a new five-star hotel in Meloneras and the transformation of apartments into four- and five-star hotels, such as the Hotel Principado, Jardín del Sol, Jardín del Atlántico, Il Rondo and others. These initiatives represent a total investment of 198.272.808,98 euros, which will generate nearly 2.000 direct jobs and 4.000 indirect jobs.
In addition, Urban Planning has promoted the Maspalomas Modernisation and Improvement Plan, in collaboration with the Canary Islands Government. This plan will provide a regulatory framework that will include urban incentives for the reform of the accommodation and commercial plant. Among the measures contemplated are greater building capacity, the planning of open spaces on plots and the expansion of permitted uses on commercial land to include accommodation, social health services or sports facilities. It will also allow the compatibility of residential use on tourist land.
The Tourism department has also allocated almost eight million euros to finance three major rehabilitation projects in Maspalomas Costa Canaria, which will be carried out by the Maspalomas Rehabilitation Consortium. These works will allow the refurbishment of the Paseo Costa Canaria, the walkways along the Barranco de Maspalomas and the construction of a bicycle lane and a pedestrian walkway on the GC-500 road, from El Hornillo-Meloneras to Montaña Blanca. These interventions, together with the works already underway, will be completed before the end of the legislative period. Collaboration with the Consortium is key to continuing to promote the modernisation of Maspalomas, which is why one million euros are also transferred to this entity annually.
The San Bartolomé de Tirajana Town Council has defined a roadmap based on three strategic lines: the promotion of economic investment for the renovation of Maspalomas Costa Canaria, the drafting and execution of the Modernisation and Improvement Plan, and the rehabilitation and improvement works of public infrastructures, complemented by an investment of 5,7 million euros in the Maspalomas Smart Destination project, aimed at digitalising the management and promotion of the destination. These initiatives reinforce the municipality's commitment to the renovation, modernisation and diversification of the tourist offer, ensuring that Maspalomas Costa Canaria continues to be a competitive destination at a national and international level.
