Canary Islands launch tourism, social and environmental regeneration program from Berlin
From the ITB fair, the Canary Islands Tourism Authority has taken the first step of the RegNext programme, aimed at financing public and private initiatives for environmental and social regeneration linked to tourism and the territory. The scheme will launch five pilot projects on the four islands that face the greatest tourist pressure.
Government Highlights the Importance of the German Market
The Canary Islands’ presence at the Berlin ITB served to showcase RegNext, a new initiative of the Ministry of Tourism and Employment designed to fund environmental and social regeneration projects tied to tourism.
During the inaugural meeting of the Alliance for Regeneration and Renaturalisation of the Canary Islands, held within the German tourism fair, participants agreed on the criteria to select five pilot projects:
- Four island‑specific projects, one each on the territories with the highest tourist pressure – Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Tenerife and Fuerteventura.
- One transversal project with a social focus.
Representatives from island councils and international tourism operators such as TUI, easyJet, Skyscanner, Untours Foundation, DERTOUR, Lopesan, Loro Parque and Ashotel, as well as strategic partner The Travel Foundation, took part in the discussion.
According to the Canary Islands Tourism Authority, future participants must demonstrate:
- Tangible impact
- Technical and economic viability
- Measurable results
Environmental criteria include the effective restoration of priority habitats and biodiversity improvement, while social criteria focus on creating local green jobs, training and capacity‑building.
“We now have a draft that outlines the criteria for selecting those five projects, which will have both environmental and social dimensions.”
— Jéssica de León, Minister of Tourism and Employment
The Ministry also placed the programme’s legal and administrative framework on the agenda. The design incorporates independent audits, tax incentives for participating operators, and a digital platform to monitor project progress and trace contributions.
Timeline and Next Steps
- April–May: Define the digital platform and communication strategy.
- June: Submit the final design to the Government Council.
- Second half of the year: Launch the five pilot projects.
Minister Jéssica de León emphasized that RegNext positions the Canary Islands and its international and national operators “in an innovative stance within the European debate on how to finance territorial restoration.”
“If Tourism Is the Archipelago’s Economic Engine, It Can Also Drive Its Regeneration”
The official government note underlines that the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation makes the restoration of degraded ecosystems a legal obligation, requiring at least 20 % of land and marine areas to be restored by 2030 and all areas by 2050.
“We have decided not to wait for external funding or to react only when absolutely necessary; we will act proactively,” said De León. “Public resources alone will not be enough to meet the targets, and from this reality RegNext was born – a simple yet ambitious idea that if tourism is the main economic driver of the archipelago, it can also become a structural engine for its regeneration.”
German Market: A Key Driver of Spending and Loyalty
During the ITB, the Ministry of Tourism and Employment opened the Canary Islands stand and highlighted the German market’s longer average stays and higher spend per trip.
- In 2025, 2.8 million German tourists visited the Canary Islands (15 % of total arrivals), generating €4.193 billion in revenue (18 % of total).
- Average spend: €1,641 per trip.
- Average length of stay: 11.1 days, compared with the overall average of 9.3 days.
The report also noted a high repeat‑visit rate among German travellers (71 % returning) and their strong presence on islands such as Fuerteventura and La Palma, as well as their importance for the traditional accommodation sector on La Gomera. Despite a 6 % decline in German arrivals this winter—attributed to economic and geopolitical uncertainty—the Canary Islands remained the leading winter destination for German tourists.
“The German traveller is very interesting for the destination because they stay longer, spend more per trip, and show high loyalty to our islands,” said Minister De León, adding reassurance that “in the winter season we remain the top destination for German travellers, far ahead of the Balearics, Egypt and Turkey.”