The historic and comfortable hegemony of the transport company Salcai (Global) in southern Gran Canaria faces a high-caliber strategic challenge. The multinational ALSA, using its local brand Canary Shuttle, will take the battle for mobility in the island's main tourism hub to the global arena of the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, seeking to erode the narrative of the "necessary monopoly" that has characterized Canarian intercity transport for decades. Obviously, Salcai will claim it doesn't operate in the same segment, but ALSA wants to take advantage of the airport lines, and this is done with lobbying, especially given that the Gran Canaria Island Council is a three-headed powerhouse: what the PSOE thinks, what Nueva Canarias says, and now Primero Canarias (Prica).
From November 4th to 6th, ALSA/Canary Shuttle will occupy a prominent location at the Canary Islands stand N5-210, with the explicit intention of "creating connections" and seeking "new collaboration opportunities." This move is not innocent: it is an aggressive business development strategy focused directly on the large international tour operators and travel brokers that have traditionally supplied Salcaí with the constant flow of tourists traveling from the airport to the southern resorts.
For half a century, Salcai has justified its dominant position by relying on the complexity of route management and the need for an integrated offering. However, the entry of ALSA—a giant with experience in transport management across multiple markets and unmatched financial capacity—turns this "need" into a mere corporate monopoly susceptible to attack with improved technology, networking, and global vision. Canary Shuttle's presence at the WTM, joining the official Canary Islands "troop," seeks precisely to legitimize its role as a key player in the eyes of TUI, Jet2, and easyJet, with whom the Canary Islands government met this week.
ALSA's message is clear: new tourist connectivity in southern Gran Canaria is agreed upon in London, not just at the Regional Ministry's office in Las Palmas. The context of WTM reinforces ALSA/Canary Shuttle's commitment: the British market is the true backbone of Canarian tourism. The United Kingdom is the main market, with more than 20% of its visitors returning (more than 10 times). These loyal tourists are familiar with the product and seek efficiency in their travel. The British market not only comes more, but also spends more. It increased its share of total tourism revenue to 33,4% in the first half of 2023, with an average expenditure per trip of €1.340.
For ALSA, securing transfer contracts and private routes with tour operators (Jet2, TUI) that attract this high-spending, high-loyalty tourist is the direct route to dismantling Salcai's structure in the south, leveraging the pressure of international networking, which has historically been the local company's greatest weakness. The WTM is not just a sun-promoting trade fair; it's the chessboard where control of the lucrative British tourist mobility business in the Maspalomas area is being contested. Salcai has been warned.
