Gran Canaria Tourism, together with the Gran Canaria Chamber of Commerce, and a dozen tourism entrepreneurs from the island were part of the delegation that celebrated World Tapas Day yesterday, June 11, in Poland, in collaboration with the Spanish Tourist Office (OET) in Warsaw.
The chosen venue in the Polish capital was the 46th floor of the Skyfall Warsawa building, where a workshop was held for tourism professionals from the island and Poland, and where Gran Canaria Tourism presented the destination to around XNUMX guests. A gastronomic experience was also offered, which was also attended by the Spanish ambassador to Poland, Ramiro Fernández, along with institutional representatives from the country's OET.
“For Poland, Gran Canaria's commitment to this market is a privilege given the quality of your tourism destination, so I am delighted to attend this event, which is undoubtedly another step in building bridges between Poland and Spain to grow the tourism industry and generate wealth and employment,” said the ambassador, who also confessed to being a fan of gofio.
For his part, Claudio Andrade, Turespaña's Tourism Advisor at the Spanish Embassy in Warsaw, also stated that he was "very happy to celebrate World Tapas Day with Gran Canaria because it is a well-known destination in the Polish market, which has been growing in recent years thanks to the opening of new routes and connections. This commitment by Gran Canaria will allow us to showcase other aspects of the island, such as its gastronomy, local products, and complementary tourist offerings (such as cycling, winery, and hiking routes); in short, it is a pleasure to offer, alongside this destination, a strategic event for Turespaña, as it allows us to attract a higher-quality tourist base and contributes to the sustainability of our destinations," Andrade noted.
This event, part of World Tapas Day, was aimed at one hundred tourism industry professionals (tour operators and agents) and around thirty Polish travel and gastronomy journalists. The goal was to reach not only the major Polish tour operators, among whom Gran Canaria has been working on its positioning for years, but also those who do not yet have a deep understanding of all the resources the destination has to offer in terms of gastronomy, nature, culture, and golf, among other tourism products.
In fact, Magdalena Adamczyk, Gran Canaria Tourism promoter in Poland, pointed out at the presentation the growing interest of this market in the island, as just over 2024 Polish tourists visited it in 76.000. "This is a very significant and encouraging figure for the work Gran Canaria is doing, improving connectivity and awareness of the island for a market of approximately 36 million inhabitants, whose tourist profile is interested in the destination and the tourism and gastronomic resources it can offer," Adamczyk explained.
The Dunas Group, Paradisus by Meliá Gran Canaria, Servatur Hotels & Resort, Seaside Collection, Finca La Laja & Casa Romántica, the incoming Turisbed, the Gran Canaria Wine Route, Gran Canaria Redonda, Gran Canaria Golf, Gran Canaria Convention Bureau and Gran Canaria Birdwatching were the representatives of the tourism sector present at the event, who had the opportunity to promote the island and its services to Polish tourism sources.
For his part, Pino León, Head of Tourism Promotion for Gran Canaria, noted that "it has been a pleasure to promote this initiative because it will allow us to strengthen ties with the Polish tourism industry, which, although already familiar with us, we want to continue exploring us through all the valuable experiences we can offer at our destination, exemplified by the representatives of the island's tourism sector who are accompanying us."
Gran Canaria's gastronomy took center stage yesterday with a menu designed by Michelin-starred chef Abraham Ortega (Tabaiba restaurant). Attendees enjoyed tapas such as carajaca tartlet with lemon and cilantro pearls; gofio and almond pudding with banana and honey cream; roasted sama with bureblanc from the Medianías; rabbit à la Royale; and low-temperature transhumant sheep with watercress sauce. The menu was complemented by a selection of Gran Canarian artisan cheeses from Quesos Bolaños (goat, sheep, and flower), accompanied by Valleseco cider and the wines Eidan Blanc (Viñedos Ventura Winery) and Rincón del Guiniguada (Rincón del Guiniguada Winery). The experience culminated with traditional almond pastries from the Cumbre de Gran Canaria, made by Dulcería Nublo in Tejeda, cocktails with Arehucas rum and passion fruit, and the iconic Agaete coffee.