Tourism Product Clubs this Tuesday at the Canary Islands Oceanographic Centre. This was announced by the Mayor of Santa Cruz, José Manuel Bermúdez, who explained that “as part of the work being carried out to transform the tourism model of the city, we organised this event, which brought together 62 tourism-related companies and organisations to introduce them to these new Tourism Product Clubs.”
In this regard, Bermúdez stated that “this presentation formed part of a strategic initiative aimed at strengthening the destination’s competitiveness through public-private collaboration and the enhancement of local resources,” adding that “the Tourism Product Clubs represent a turning point in Santa Cruz’s tourism model, which is why it is essential to involve the sector so that businesses and stakeholders become familiar with the initiative and actively participate in it.”
Bermúdez also explained that “this project is part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations (PSTD) ‘Competitive Improvement and Tourism Repositioning of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Coastline’, financed through the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR – Next Generation EU) and coordinated by the Strategic Planning Department of Santa Cruz City Council together with the Development Society.” He added that “its objective is to promote a more sustainable, structured and identity-driven tourism model for the municipality.”
Meanwhile, Carmen Pérez, Managing Director of the Development Society, reported that “the event successfully brought together companies and organisations directly linked to coastal and nature-related themes, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of sustainability.” She added that “the participation of key subsectors related to the conservation and responsible use of the natural environment stood out, particularly environmental organisations, which contributed perspectives focused on protection and education.”
Pérez also highlighted that “the tourism and leisure sector linked to natural spaces was represented by experience operators and managers of coastal infrastructures,” adding that “specialised service providers and consultancy firms also attended, which reinforces our belief that there is growing interest in integrating sustainability into day-to-day business management and the tourism value chain — a key factor in adapting to and mitigating impacts in these sensitive environments.”
“Taken together, the companies participating in this presentation event for the Tourism Product Clubs represent a diverse ecosystem united by a shared interest in the preservation of the coastline and natural heritage, as well as their sustainable promotion,” Pérez noted. She added that “these new Tourism Product Clubs will allow us to better structure the destination’s tourism offer, generate new experiences and improve the competitiveness of Santa Cruz.”
Pérez explained that “the event served to provide the sector with an understanding of the project’s strategic framework and the role the new clubs play in the evolution of the city’s tourism model, offering companies and organisations the opportunity to become part of a collaborative network focused on developing high-quality tourism experiences and strengthening Santa Cruz’s tourism positioning.” She further noted that “participants also received detailed information about how the Clubs operate, their objectives, the membership process and the participation opportunities available for interested businesses and organisations.”
“The event also included a professional networking session aimed at fostering collaboration and generating new business opportunities among attendees,” Pérez highlighted. She added that “through this initiative, Santa Cruz de Tenerife is taking a significant step towards consolidating a more competitive tourism model based on cooperation, quality and the creation of experiences connected to the territory, further strengthening its positioning as a sustainable, innovative destination closely linked to the sea and its local identity.”
Pérez also recalled that “two Tourism Product Clubs were recently created with the aim of structuring the destination’s tourism offer around its key assets.” She explained that “the Nautical and Active Coastal Tourism Product Club focuses on enhancing the coastline, the sea and activities linked to active leisure, while the Nature and Living Culture Tourism Product Club seeks to connect the city with its natural environment, the Anaga Massif, cultural expressions and the local creativity of both the territory and the capital city.”
“Both Clubs will operate as collaborative working platforms bringing together companies, organisations and tourism professionals from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, with the objective of structuring, improving and promoting high-quality tourism experiences, encouraging collaboration and generating synergies between the destination’s public and private stakeholders,” Pérez stressed. She added that “since the launch of the project, an extensive process of analysis and diagnosis of the destination has been carried out, based on the identification of existing resources, services and tourism experiences.”
“This work has made it possible to identify market niches and emerging segments with growth potential, as well as prioritise tourism products and experiences with the greatest development capacity,” Pérez emphasised. She added that “based on this analysis, and following a proven methodology, progress has been made in designing the governance model, defining action plans and establishing membership criteria, thereby laying the foundations for the operational launch of the Tourism Product Clubs.”
The project, funded by the European Union through Next Generation EU, forms part of the Tourism Sustainability Plan for Destinations “Competitive Improvement and Tourism Repositioning of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Coastline”, within the framework of Spain’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (PRTR), and is coordinated by the Strategic Planning Department of Santa Cruz City Council together with the Development Society.
