The agenda for the business and institutional mission from Lanzarote to Texas will include joint promotional events with Iberia and Turespaña, as well as participation in international sustainability forums. “The aim is to open new pathways for our businesses,” stated the President of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort.
The Cabildo of Lanzarote, through the Economic Promotion Department and SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, will intensify its strategy to open up the North American market with a high-level agenda in Boston (USA), Toronto (Canada), and San Antonio (Texas) in September. These actions form part of the international plan presented in March at the Secrets hotel in Puerto Calero, agreed upon with the island’s business sector. The plan aims to diversify markets, create new business opportunities, and position the island as a sustainable and quality tourist destination.
The Cabildo highlights that the strategy for this “business and institutional mission” in Texas includes joint promotional events with Iberia and Turespaña, as well as participation in international sustainability forums. It also involves collaboration with the Centres for Art, Culture, and Tourism (CACT), Proexca (Government of the Canary Islands), and the Chamber of Commerce of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, along with support from Texas institutions such as the City of San Antonio, The Alamo, the USA-Canarias Society Foundation, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the Canary Islands Descendants Association among other strategic allies.
Oswaldo Betancort, President of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, believes that “Lanzarote has a shared history with North America, but also a common future. Through these missions, we want to open new pathways for our businesses and strengthen the island’s position as a competitive, sustainable, and global destination.”
Meanwhile, Héctor Fernández, the CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, emphasises that “these actions are part of a global strategy that connects tourism, culture, and commerce, designed in coordination with the business sector. They are not isolated initiatives but part of an international roadmap that aims to broaden horizons and attract high-value visitors from the United States and Canada.”
From September 3 to 5, Lanzarote will conduct the “Lanzarote 360º – Texas 2025” mission in San Antonio, which combines tourism and commercial promotion with a celebration of nearly 300 years since the city’s founding by 56 islanders, 44 of whom hailed from Lanzarote.
The agenda features meetings with the HEB distribution chain, a professional forum with importers, chefs, and tour operators, a major cultural event at the Alamo plaza, as well as institutional meetings with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Mayor of San Antonio, Gina Ortiz Jones. She highlighted that “San Antonio and Lanzarote share a common legacy. This event honours that past, but above all, opens up a future of collaboration in tourism, culture, and commerce between our communities.”
Regarding the business representation from Lanzarote, the mission will include participation from wineries such as Vega de Yuco, La Geria, and Jable de Tao, Janubio Salinas, and gourmet producers like Bernardo’s Gourmet Products, Bombonería La Corona, and Quesería El Faro, showcasing the island’s gastronomic and artisanal richness.
Boston: Sustainability and Alliances with Iberia
On September 23, Lanzarote will participate in an event organised with Iberia in Boston, aimed at travel agencies in the city, with the goal of promoting the island as an accessible tourist destination from the United States via the Madrid hub. This initiative will strengthen ties with key market influencers in the United States and enhance international connectivity.
The following day, Lanzarote will have a leading role at the Spain Talks-Sustainability forum, organised by Turespaña in Boston, where the island’s model of responsible tourism will be presented, along with a roundtable featuring representatives from Lanzarote’s tourism sector.
Opening to the Canadian Market
The North American strategy will also extend to Canada. In Toronto, Lanzarote will participate in another Spain Talks gathering, promoted by Turespaña, bringing together travel agents, operators, and opinion leaders from the Canadian market. This initiative presents a key opportunity to bring the destination closer to one of the countries with the highest purchasing power and growth potential, aligning with future transatlantic connectivity plans between Iberia and Canada.
