Canarian officials believe they have found a way to affirm their islands’ tourism brand

They will concentrate on promoting it as a top-notch destination for sports and training

Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Or do they? Sometimes, the answer is already in your hands. The Canary Islands, for example, have for long been considered a great destination for tourism and sports activities thanks to their great climate and geographical conditions all year long.

Tourism officials from the archipelago have come to the conclusion that this is a point to lean on in the current year and possibly in the future as a way to affirm their destination’s image as a high-quality place in the world of sports tourism and travel. They have decided to launch a two-tier promotion campaign in order to attract elite athletes looking to prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games in Tokyo, or other competitions, especially during the winter season.

All the world’s elite competitive sailors are already training in the waters of Lanzarote

It was reported that in 2019, some 13.4% of visitors to the Atlantic archipelago engaged in sporting activities there. What is more, these people tended to also spend more than the average tourists and spend slightly more time in the region.

The idea was partially spurred by a realization that much of the world’s elite in the sport of sailing was already gathered in the Canary Islands in order to train and prepare for the Olympics. The regional Sports Ministry decided to start a promotional campaign online and in the relevant global media that will include testimonials from these athletes speaking why they have chosen to train there.

“We have natural conditions that make us a paradise for training and active sports in nature. The promotion of this tourist segment is included in our marketing plan and the current scenario forces us to persevere even more given that while in the rest of Europe contagions have intensified and confinement has returned, in the Islands we can welcome those who they can't stop training. We are open and we are the best possible destination for all those who would otherwise put their sports careers aside,” stated Yaiza Castilla, the Minister of Sports.

The second promotional tier will go beyond media spots and will consist of developing targeted audiovisual content aimed at the professional athlete audience. This will also include the development of a landing webpage explaining all the strengths and benefits of training in the archipelago. Furthermore, cobranding projects and ads will be developed in partnership with major brands from the sports industry.