The Gran Canaria Island Tourism Center (CIT) in Playa del Inglés will host a high-level workshop this Wednesday, September 23, focused on the strategic redefinition of Gran Canaria's tourism model. Jointly organized by the specialized consulting firm BIM Consultors—led by Dr. Jaume Marín Rabiol—and the global firm KPMG, the event brings together key economic, business, and management stakeholders in the sector to develop new tourism products capable of attracting high-quality tourists and increasing the profitability of the island destination.
The initiative responds to the urgent need to transcend the limitations of the traditional sun and beach model by co-creating experiential offerings that precisely meet the demands of the contemporary traveler. Faced with the saturation of mature markets, the event addresses diversification into niche markets with high economic returns and a low environmental footprint, consolidating southern Gran Canaria as a laboratory for tourism innovation adapted to international standards of sustainability and exclusivity.
The core of the working session revolves around the design of specific products in high-demand, high-value-added areas. Among the priority areas that the sectoral working groups will address are the development of premium tourism experiences, the enhancement of local food and wine as a cultural and leisure attraction, and the promotion of active tourism linked to birdwatching and specialized photography in the protected natural areas surrounding the southern region.
The program also pays special attention to high-performance sports, a strategic segment that finds optimal climatic conditions and infrastructure in southern Gran Canaria for the year-round training of elite athletes. The integration of these products aims not only to reduce the seasonality of visitor arrivals but also to increase average spending per stay and diversify the value chain of the island's tourism industry, directly involving accommodation, restaurants, and complementary services in the area.
The call for proposals emphasizes that the creation of new tourism products is not simply a matter of identifying current global trends, but rather a profound exercise in understanding the local context and actively listening to the stakeholders operating on the ground. The methodology promoted by BIM Consultors and KPMG advocates for collaborative governance, integrating the knowledge of local businesses with the strategic analytics of major consulting firms to transform Gran Canaria's geographical and cultural potential into concrete, viable, and competitive business proposals.
This sector summit at the Playa del Inglés Tourism Innovation Centre (CIT) is part of a broader renewal and modernization strategy underway in southern Gran Canaria, where optimizing public and private resources is vital to maintaining its leadership position against emerging international competitors. The session, held from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., aims to establish the operational framework for companies in the sector to incorporate these new business lines into their commercial portfolios, strengthening the resilience and positioning of the island's tourism brand in key European source markets.
