Cantabria and Lanzarote have agreed to collaborate on promoting their regions, targeting new tourism opportunities, and developing products and experiences that highlight high-impact tourism, leveraging their air connectivity.
The collaboration was formalised on Tuesday by SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote and the Cantabrian Regional Society for Tourism Promotion (CANTUR) at a ceremony in Lanzarote. The agreement aims to boost promotion for both destinations, facilitate knowledge exchange, and initiate joint actions in shared markets.
The deal includes mutual support for promotional activities, exchanging advertising materials, and sharing tourism intelligence data, as well as identifying strategic initiatives to enhance the branding of Lanzarote and Cantabria.
Oswaldo Betancort, President of the Island Council of Lanzarote, noted that despite their differences, the two regions’ complementarity offers unique opportunities. He expressed a desire to better understand demand from northern Spain to strengthen their market presence while sharing their experience as an international tourist destination. He emphasised the importance of informed planning and partnerships to attract higher-value visitors and create a positive impact.
The partnership is supported by a direct flight operated by Binter between Lanzarote and Santander from May to October. Hector Fernández, the CEO of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, reported promising occupancy rates in both directions during the service’s first season, expressing optimism about its future continuity and potential for establishing an annual connection.
Fernández described the agreement as an innovative way to mutually promote two complementary destinations, aligning with their strategy to draw higher-value domestic tourists attracted by aspects such as gastronomy, nature, sports, innovation, and sustainability.
Potential areas of focus include family tourism, utilising attractions like Cabárceno in Cantabria; golf, linked to the famous Cantabrian golfer Severiano Ballesteros; and gastronomy, where both regions have distinct identities.
Luis Martínez, the Cantabrian Government’s Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport, expressed satisfaction in formalising the agreement, which he believes will create new opportunities based on mutual interests. Inés Mier, director of CANTUR, highlighted the value of leveraging each region’s resources to meet shared needs and adapt successful initiatives.
The framework aims to enhance the effectiveness of their promotional efforts, creating an integrated tourist offer through collaboration. Martínez Abad stressed that this partnership promotes Cantabria and Lanzarote as complementary destinations rather than competitors, with each region contributing unique cultural and natural offerings.
This agreement seeks to generate synergies, particularly in developing high-impact tourism products and improving long-haul connectivity, and establishing coordinated actions in strategic common markets. It includes a catalogue of initiatives for mutual promotional activities in each territory, with opportunities to involve tourism associations.
Additionally, it plans for joint promotional efforts in other strategic markets, targeting travel agencies and tour operators. The collaboration also encompasses technical exchanges, data sharing, and best practices in tourism intelligence, reinforcing Cantabria as a quality destination in both national and international markets.
