On the map of ambitions for southern Gran Canaria, the MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions) sector has decided it no longer wants to be relegated to a minor section of the tourist brochure. According to the latest report from the Spain Convention Bureau, presented at FITUR 2026, business travelers spend an average of €388 per day in the south of the island, an expenditure three times higher than that of the average tourist, which flows directly into local gastronomy, specialized transport, and technology. In the Canary Islands, the total impact is already approaching €415 million, a figure the sector is using as leverage to demand the same treatment as the film industry within the Canary Islands' Special Economic Zone (REF).
The strategy of the Canary Islands MICE Industry Association, led by Zoilo Alemán, is clear: MICE is not a tourism service; it is a cross-cutting industry that encompasses more than 20 subsectors, from temporary architecture to sound engineering. The ongoing struggle now focuses on securing tax breaks to compensate for the "distance" and logistical costs compared to Madrid or Barcelona. For Alemán, these incentives are not a whim, but rather the necessary tool to ensure that foreign capital arriving in the islands for a conference doesn't simply vanish after the event, but remains embedded in the local economy through vocational training and skilled employment.
There's a touch of irony directed at the audiovisual sector. While film production arrives in the islands with its own crews and external personnel, the MICE industry emphasizes its local roots: "We provide work for small and medium-sized Canarian businesses, unlike the film industry," Alemán asserts. This distinction is strategic; it aims to convince a political class obsessed with "diversification" that MICE is the perfect bridge for national and international companies to establish themselves in the Canary Islands Special Zone (ZEC). The goal is for the Canary Islands' infrastructure and air connectivity to be used not only for holidays, but also for the deployment of an operational intelligence that already has a full schedule: 2026 is practically sold out, with events booked for every month except November.
Ultimately, the MICE industry is claiming its place in the 'uniqueness offensive'. In an archipelago obsessed with budgetary red lines and the fear of EU cuts, the conference sector is proposing a model of resistance: doing its homework while things are going well. They want it understood that a symposium attendee is not a sun-drinking visitor, but an economic driver who demands elite professional training. It's the definitive transition from "hotel chambermaid" to "systems technician," an evolution that, according to its proponents, is the only way for southern Gran Canaria to cease being a seasonal destination and become a global business hub under the Maspalomas sun.
