Manuel Domínguez and Jéssica de León call for tourism that creates jobs and wealth while protecting the territory

The Vice-President of the Canary Islands Government and Minister for Economy, Industry, Trade and the Self-Employed, Manuel Domínguez, and the Minister for Tourism and Employment, Jéssica de León, presented the 2026 Canary Islands Tourism Awards on Thursday at a ceremony held at the Palacio de Formación y Congresos de Fuerteventura in Puerto del Rosario. The venue hosted the event for the first time.

During his address, Canary Islands Government Vice-President Manuel Domínguez said that talking about tourism in the Canary Islands meant talking about “jobs, opportunities, innovation, sustainability, our products, our landscapes and our identity” — but, above all, about people. He stressed that “the success of tourism must also be the success of those who live and work here”.

Domínguez emphasised that behind every hotel, restaurant, experience, product or landscape “there are people”. He also noted that “the six award winners represent different ways of understanding and improving our tourism”, and paid particular tribute to the work of their teams and families, recalling that “behind every career there are many people who have shared the effort, the difficulties and the successes too”.

The Vice-President championed tourism that can generate wealth and jobs while also “giving value back to our territory and creating more opportunities for our people”. He said this model “must move forward in quality, innovation and sustainability and, above all, must put people at its centre”.

Domínguez also highlighted tourism’s role in the Canary Islands’ economic development, saying that “the sector that helped us emerge from poverty and underdevelopment must now help build a much better present and future”. He closed by thanking Fuerteventura for its welcome and everyone who works each day to ensure that “the Canary Islands remain an absolutely extraordinary tourist destination and, above all, a better place for those of us who live here”.

Tourism and Employment Minister Jéssica de León also stressed that the Canary Islands Tourism Awards represent “the kind of tourism we believe in: tourism by people, for people, telling stories of hard work and dedication”. She added that “this year’s edition, with 102 entries, reflects the enormous commitment of businesses and communities across the islands”.

De León also argued that the archipelago must address tourism’s challenges through planning and decision-making. “The Canary Islands are not asking us to eliminate tourism, but to regulate it,” she said, calling for “limits, capacity thresholds for our islands and natural areas, and housing, transport and water to support tourism activity”. She added that “we need to plan with the generations who come after us in mind”.

The minister championed tourism that is compatible with the islands’ identity and residents’ quality of life. “Our tourist destination is, first and foremost, the place where we live,” she said, arguing that tourism development must allow “our people to live in their own land and feel connected to it”.

The Tourism Minister took the opportunity to highlight the commitment of the six award winners, linking their different projects through a shared idea: “caring for people, caring for our economy, caring for workers, caring for our identity, caring for our land”. She added that “this commitment is also part of the responsibility of those who manage tourism in the Canary Islands, as they work towards tourism that cares, respects and regenerates”.

De León concluded by announcing that El Hierro will host the next Canary Islands Tourism Awards in 2027. This continues the initiative led by the Ministry of Tourism and Employment during the current legislative term to take the awards around the archipelago and hold them beyond the capital islands.

The evolution of the Canary Islands Tourism Awards

In 2024, the Canary Islands Government, at the proposal of the Ministry of Tourism and Employment, updated the Canary Islands Tourism Awards to meet the sector’s new challenges. The new framework replaced the one established in 2014 and introduced areas including sustainability, innovation, accessibility and the quality of tourism jobs.

The renewal also gave the awards a new focus, with six categories: Tourism Excellence; Tourism Career; Sustainable Employment; Innovation; Accessibility and Inclusion; and Sustainable Tourism Destination.

The change has also been reflected in participation. The awards received 64 entries in 2025, the highest number to that point, and this edition attracted 102 — a record since the awards were established.

Six awards recognising six approaches to tourism

The 2026 Canary Islands Tourism Awards recognised six leading figures in the archipelago’s tourism sector for their contribution to a model based on sustainability, innovation, inclusion and highlighting the value of the territory.

The Tourism Excellence Award went to Bodegas Conatvs for its contribution to showcasing Fuerteventura’s landscape, viticulture, local produce and identity.

The Tourism Career Award recognised Carlos Cebriá for five decades of dedication and contribution to developing Fuerteventura as a quality tourist destination.

The Sustainable Employment Award went to Landmar Hotels for its work on employment, wellbeing and the professional development of people working in the tourism sector.

The Innovation Award went to Ecofinca Nogales, in La Palma, for its commitment to innovation connected with sustainable agriculture and tourism.

The Accessibility and Inclusion Award recognised Asociación Anchieta for its commitment to the community and to creating accessible and inclusive opportunities.

Finally, the Sustainable Tourism Destination Award went to La Palma for putting the territory and its natural assets at the heart of its tourism development model.

A ceremony inspired by Fuerteventura’s identity

The ceremony featured a staging created specifically for the island under the concept ‘Piel de isla’ (‘Island Skin’), drawing inspiration from features characteristic of Fuerteventura, including stone, sand, wind, light, the horizon and the sea.

The set design, audiovisual elements and lighting aimed to bring that identity into the venue. Music also played a leading role, with performances by Fuerteventura artist Gara Alemán and timple player Domingo Rodríguez ‘El Colorao’.