Pepe Rodríguez (MasterChef) and José Ramón Calvo (Mugaritz Restaurant) are leading the Maspalomas Tourism Forum, which this year highlights the human value of gastronomy and hospitality.

The 12th Maspalomas Costa Canaria International Tourism Forum 2025, organized by the Tourism Department of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, will celebrate its twelfth edition on November 17 and 18 at ExpoMeloneras, consolidating itself as a meeting place for professionals, experts and students of the tourism sector.

 

The 2025 edition will mark a shift in focus compared to previous years: the forum is moving away from traditional lectures to focus on practical, experiential training for professionals working daily in hotels, restaurants, and tourism services. This training will be led by renowned national experts and professionals from the municipality and the island of Gran Canaria, who will share their direct experience in management and visitor services.

 

 

The Tourism Councillor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Yilenia Vega, emphasized that “this year’s Forum takes a 180-degree turn, opening itself up to the more human side of tourism. We want to highlight the people behind every experience, those who, with their daily efforts, welcome and bid farewell with a smile to our visitors. Their work is the soul of the destination and deserves to be recognized and strengthened with learning opportunities like this.”

 

Waiters, cooks, head waiters and staff who provide direct visitor service will be the protagonists of a series of events that emphasize that a destination is also built on smiles, friendly service and a personal touch.

 

 

Along the same lines, the First Deputy Mayor, Alejandro Marichal, emphasized that “Maspalomas is once again positioning itself as an international benchmark for tourism discussions, with a forum that not only analyzes the future of the sector but also builds it through practical experience. This event represents an opportunity to reinforce San Bartolomé de Tirajana's leadership on the international tourism agenda, committing to a model that combines excellence in infrastructure with a clear vision for the future.”

 

He added that “San Bartolomé de Tirajana has been, for decades, an example of hospitality, thanks to the efforts of those who, from every hotel, restaurant, or tourism business, have made friendly and professional service our best calling card. This forum pays tribute to the human capital that sustains the destination, while also promoting their training and strengthening the municipality's competitiveness on the global stage.”

 

A program that unites excellence, talent, and experience

 

The program of the XII Maspalomas Costa Canaria International Tourism Forum will offer two days that will cover different areas of the tourism sector through gastronomy, science and human talent.

 

The first day, Monday, November 17, will open with the keynote address “Professional Attention to Detail Through Different Languages,” delivered by José Ramón Calvo, head waiter of the two-Michelin-starred restaurant Mugaritz. The talk will explore how excellence in service and empathy with the customer can transform the dining experience into an almost theatrical performance, where every gesture and every word matters.

 

Next, the panel discussion “The Power of the Dining Room” will take place, featuring renowned head waiters and sommeliers from the Canary Islands, including Nikola Ivicic from Aquarela, a Michelin-starred restaurant; María González from Bevir; Diego Tornell, named Best Sommelier of the Canary Islands and Spain; Érika Sanz, a sommelier trained by Martín Berasategui; and José Ramón Calvo from Mugaritz. The discussion will explore the importance of front-of-house service, training, and talent retention in the hospitality industry.

 

In the afternoon, the Mirador de las Dunas will host the showcooking event “The Origin of Flavor,” led by chef Pepa Muñoz of the Madrid restaurant El Qüenco de Pepa and mixologist Matteo Ciarpaglini of Club Paradiso. This session, open to the public, will highlight local products, sustainability, and creativity as the driving force behind contemporary Canarian cuisine.

 

The second day of the forum, Tuesday, November 18, will continue with a more technical focus, centered on the relationship between science, innovation, and gastronomy. The session will begin with the presentation “The Importance of Dialogue Between Science and Cooking for the Future,” by Pere Castells, president of the Science and Cooking World Congress Foundation and former scientific advisor to El Bulli. Castells will explain how research and technology contribute to gastronomic evolution without losing its human essence.

 

Midway through the day, the spotlight will fall on chef Pepe Rodríguez, from the El Bohío restaurant and a judge on the television program MasterChefwho will give a live talk about his career, the link between gastronomy and tourism, and how a culinary experience can become an engine of local development.

 

As a closing, the forum will conclude with a presentation by consultant and coach Juan Ferrer, entitled “Customer Experience = Employee Experience,” a reflection on the importance of taking care of tourism staff to guarantee excellent and sustainable service over time.

 

Training, innovation and pride of destination

 

The Maspalomas Costa Canaria International Tourism Forum is thus consolidating its position as a leading event for the exchange of ideas and experiences among tourism professionals. The 2025 edition focuses on a more participatory, experiential, and personal approach, aiming to further strengthen San Bartolomé de Tirajana's leadership as a pioneering destination in training, innovation, and tourism excellence.

 

This event is part of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council's commitment to training, innovation, and the promotion of local talent. Through its Department of Tourism, the council promotes initiatives that strengthen the quality of the destination and reinforce its leadership at the national and international levels. The Maspalomas Costa Canaria International Tourism Forum not only consolidates the municipality's position as a benchmark in organizing professional events, but also reaffirms its commitment to a tourism model based on people, sustainability, and a sense of pride in belonging to a region that lives from and for tourism.