The tourism forum held Monday morning at the Gabinete Literario in Las Palmas, sponsored by Banco Santander, was the only topic of conversation. The forum's strategic importance for the recovery and reactivation of the tourism sector in the south of the island, particularly regarding the now-closed cement plant in El Pajar, southern Gran Canaria, was a major focus. Among those present were top executives, including Ignacio Juliá Vilar, CEO of Santander Spain, and Jessica De León, Minister of Tourism and Employment for the Canary Islands Government, who reviewed the sector's recent developments and their economic impact. A key issue was the official announcement by Cordial Hoteles of a €45 million investment to prepare for the closure and dismantling of the El Pajar cement plant. The chain's CEO, Nicolás Villalobos, was also in attendance.
It is known that the cement plant's workforce will be relocated as a result of this operation—a commitment from the Canary Islands Government. However, the subcontractors will have to find new clients on the open market, leaving the original client captive and powerless, and accepting lower-priced jobs, even at the expense of efficiency. As Darwin said, "Intelligence is based on how efficiently a species does the things it needs to survive." Ceisa, owned by Votorantim Cimentos and Masaveu Corporación, has reportedly already reached an agreement with Cordial for the chain to handle the dismantling of facilities for the relocation of its operations to another part of the Canary Islands.
No mention of Cuba; that's just a smokescreen to avoid bank financing, which was precisely the purpose of the Las Palmas tourism forum where some of the details of the 'cement operation without a cement plant' were revealed. Cordial Hoteles has a plan to raise up to 45 million euros in capital, primarily earmarked for investments related to the potential departure of the Ceisa cement plant from Santa Águeda. The company aims to "pave the way to restore confidence" among international investors and tour operators, consolidating southern Gran Canaria as a top-tier destination. The firm, founded three decades ago under the Amigos HBA banner, currently manages 17 properties and has an annual turnover exceeding 70 million euros.
The Ceisa operation, currently operating under industrial management in El Pajar, involves a complete overhaul of the Port of La Luz plant with new equipment to guarantee the supply and distribution of cement. The relocation of the industrial infrastructure would free up strategic space for tourism expansion, in line with the rezoning promoted by the Island Council in 2022, which transformed rural plots into land zoned for tourism. The impact of this move is amplified by the recent joint venture between Invertur, owned by Eustasio López (Lopesan), and Tinojai, represented by the Del Castillo family. Lopesan will now control one million square meters in Santa Águeda. The plan includes the construction of three hotels with approximately 3.000 beds, reinforcing the role of southern Gran Canaria as an economic engine and job creator in the Canary Islands.
