The President of the Canary Islands Government presided this Thursday over the signing of the 'Growing Together' collaboration program, an initiative that brings together the archipelago's tourism, primary, and agri-food sectors in pursuit of greater interaction. This project, launched in 2016 with "enormous results," is being relaunched with "even greater force" to ensure that tourism increases its driving force in the other economic sectors.
During the event, the president highlighted the "new impetus" that the regional government and the sectors involved are giving to this collaborative program, aiming to ensure that tourism "drives the other strategic sectors of the Canary Islands." Clavijo noted that the partnership between tourism and Canarian producers brings "added value and diversification" to the Canarian economy, a collaboration within the "Growing Together" initiative that now includes the agri-food industry and the islands' public universities.
Both the president and the vice president, Manuel Domínguez, thanked the representatives of the three sectors involved in this initiative for their collaboration and willingness to join forces. The Minister of Economy also emphasized the importance of industry's participation in this program, as one of the key drivers of the Canary Islands' economy, which must be spearheaded by tourism.
The Minister of Tourism and Employment, for her part, emphasized the benefits that this three-way alliance brings to the tourism sector. Jéssica de León highlighted that the more than 16 million tourists who visit the Canary Islands "are increasingly demanding local products," with local gastronomy being the fifth most common reason for visitors to the archipelago. In fact, 261% of tourists dedicate part of their spending at their destination to the consumption and purchase of local products.
Added value
For his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries, and Food Sovereignty, Narvay Quintero, took the opportunity to highlight the benefits this program achieved in its early years. Quintero explained that from 2016 to 2019, the year in which 'Growing Together' entered a period of hardship, seven hotel chains signed agreements with local suppliers, while primary sector producers grew thanks to the support of the restaurant industry, which is strongly committed to local products.
Specifically, during those years the public company GMR carried out 3,679 actions related to the collaboration program between the primary and tourism sectors, in addition to training 1,238 professionals. The results were “especially significant” in the purchase of cheese and wine by hotel chains, explained the Minister of Agriculture, although “they also began to be seen in other locally sourced products.”.
Representatives from the three economic sectors in the Canary Islands involved in this initiative have also welcomed its renewed vigor, noting that tourism, the primary sector, and local industry "must work together to increase their added value," as highlighted by Jorge Marichal, president of Ashotel. In his view, this synergy will become even more significant thanks to the inclusion of the agri-food sector, which should act as a link between tourism businesses and producers on the islands.
The importance of this synergy was also highlighted before the signing of the agreement by the president of Asaga, Ángela Delgado, and the head of Asinca, Virgilio Correa, who defended the “strategic” weight of their sectors in the archipelago. “Without agriculture, livestock farming, and fishing, there is nothing,” Delgado asserted, after reiterating the need for small producers in the islands to also benefit from 'Growing Together'.
Finally, Clavijo, Domínguez, León, and Quintero emphasized the importance of public universities joining the 'Growing Together' initiative. The rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, explained that they will collaborate with the program by providing training, but also ‘analysis and knowledge’ to ensure that “we all pull together in the same direction.”.
(Note provided).
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