The economic sustainability of the Canary Islands, according to the CEO of Maarlab, Raúl Domínguez, goes through an evolution of the current tourism model. Without questioning the central role they have had —and still have— hotels and tourism companies in the development of the archipelago, Dominguez advocates to complement this model with a strategy to generate more value: export knowledge, technology and innovative solutions developed on the islands for other tourist destinations. In this interview, it analyses whether the Canary Islands are prepared to take this step and how it could result in more qualified employment, better wages and less pressure on the territory.
He has recently been to Fitur, the country's main tourist fair. What role does a Canary company like Maarlab have in such an event?
We have been sponsors of the TechYdestination forum for three consecutive years, the space of Fitur aimed at technological innovation. We choose this forum because we believe that it is the local tourism companies themselves, rooted in the territory, that must debate and build the future of industry. Only in this way can we move towards truly sustainable development, which will drive local economic development, improve the quality of life of residents and ensure the natural environment.
When you say we need a sustainable tourism model, what exactly do you mean? Do you think tourism is in question?
Tourism is not in question, but the current tourism model and its sustainability. Today we depend almost exclusively on bringing more and more people and increasing their average spending. This, in addition to creating enormous pressure on the territory, is limited to it.
At the same time, the Canary Islands has a tourist know-how that positions us as world references. This knowledge opens a real opportunity for us to export products, services and solutions to other tourist destinations and generate wealth for the Canary Islands without increasing pressure on the islands.
In short, we can grow our main industry beyond the physical limits of the territory, creating high-skilled employment. In the face of such an opportunity, as an industry and as a society, we have a responsibility to at least try.
So the alternative goes through less tourism?
On the contrary, it is more tourism with less tourists. The Canary Islands has grown by importing tourists: it now needs to export tourist value to balance its economic model and improve its social cohesion.
And the numbers match? Is it really viable in that sense?
The current tourism model contributes around 37% of the GDP. A perfectly assumed scenario would be to reduce the number of tourists by 10% over a five-year horizon. The economic impact of this reduction is approximately €1.750 billion, about 8% of GDP. To compensate for this, a sector of export of advanced tourism services that has an impact on around EUR 3.5 billion per year, with sustained growth rates of at least 2.5%, should be promoted. Obviously, these types of ecosystems are not built overnight: they require time, investment and a sustained strategic bet.
It's not about creating a Silicon Valley. A well-designed ecosystem, supported by the REF, the ZEC and a clear commitment to local talent, connected to a global market, is enough. We are talking about a cluster of innovative and exporting companies: there is no need to discover great unicorns, it is not science fiction. In fact, there are already clear examples in Spain, such as the TechPark in Malaga, which generated more than EUR 4.1 billion of economic impact in Andalusia in 2024. The Canary Islands also has a unique competitive advantage: we have been one of the world's largest tourist laboratories, open 24 hours and 365 days a year.
Is Maarlab on it?
We aspire to be one more piece of that ecosystem. We are a Canadian company that, from here, exports its technological solution of hotel + flight to establishments around the world. We also help an American who travels to Jamaica, a Swiss who goes on vacation to the Mexican Caribbean, or a German who reserves his vacation in the Balearic Islands. Our objective is to show that from the Canary Islands you can create exportable technology that generates local economic value without increasing pressure on the territory.
We have talked about Canary tourism, its model, import and export, and many points that are essential for the sustainability of the archipelago. What would you tell the political leaders to read this interview?
The Government has a key role to play. This change requires strategic decisions, a bet on talent, real innovation, intelligent use of REF and ZEC, and a medium and long-term vision. It is not about going against tourism, but about taking it out of the logic of volume and bringing it to the logic of value. This new model does not replace the traditional service model, but is based on the knowledge that the sector itself has generated for decades.
The Canary Islands is not doomed to choose between economy or territory. We can reduce tourists, improve wages and continue to grow economically if we bet to export what we know best. The chance is there. The question is whether we want to continue to measure success by number of arrivals... or by the real improvement in the quality of life of our inhabitants.
