La Palma joins Lanzarote and Fuerteventura to create a gastronomic destination of international renown

Saborea La Palma, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura have created a common work front within the framework of the Interreg Mac project to promote the three islands as areas of gastronomic tourism, offering visitors differentiated experiences that include not only restaurants but also producers, agri-food industries and entities linked to the sector.

A team led by Lanzarote, which La Palma has strongly joined thanks to the firm commitment of the Cabildo. In this regard, the island councillor for Economic Development, Raquel Díaz, emphasised that "the aim of the project is that the entire value chain, from the product coming from the primary sector to its arrival at the hotel and catering industry, allows us to identify the strengths and develop a joint strategy to promote the Canary Islands as a destination, also in the gastronomic field".

Díaz es consciente de que “La Palma, Lanzarote y Fuerteventura tienen evidentemente diferencias gastronómicas y de productos de referencia”, pero sin olvidar “nuestras singularidades” se debe apostar “por la unidad de acción a la hora de posicionarnos en el mercado”, para lo que entiende fundamental “el paraguas de la marca Saborea España, a la que pertenecemos y la oportunidad estratégica que esta iniciativa nos ofrece”.

For his part, the Councillor for Tourism, Economic Promotion, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Ángel Vázquez, stressed that "the Canary Islands is a destination that understands and promotes the tourism sector", but he knows that "we have yet to enter into gastronomic tourism, and thanks to Lanzarote's pioneering incursion into Saborea España and now the Saborea La Palma programme, this will be a reality".

The managing director of the Fuerteventura Tourist Board, Moisés Naranjo, expressed himself along the same lines, arguing that "we have to believe it" in reference to the gastronomic potential of the Islands. And the fact is that "the Canary Islands can be an international benchmark in the combination of gastronomy and tourism".

La Palma, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura are not 'walking' alone in this project. On the contrary, Interreg Mac is a Macaronesian programme in which destinations such as Senegal, Mauritania, Azores or Madeira participate.

As part of the Interreg Mac project, which involves a total of 15 partners, the 1st Mid-Atlantic Gastronomic Days will be launched with the presence of chefs, producers and local produce on the three islands.

In addition, an internet platform will be developed on which it will be possible to find out in detail from anywhere in the world about each and every one of the gastronomic aspects of the three islands, as well as their main protagonists.

Interreg Mac

The initiative, part of the Interreg MAC Programme 2014-2020, has a budget of 2.4 million euros, spread over the next three years, of which 85% comes from ERDF funds. The funds will be used mainly to enhance the value of Canarian gastronomy and promote a new sustainable tourism model that will make La Palma and the Canary Islands a leading destination in the sector.

The programme is made up of 15 partners and will aim to promote, digitally transform and promote the Mid-Atlantic cuisine that characterises the archipelago.