Canary Islands ready to welcome its Canadian friends

Spanish tourism officials have high hopes for the Canary Islands upcoming performance in the Canadian market, with two Canadian carriers planning to bring winter-weary sorts from this country to a part of Spain dubbed the “islands of eternal spring,” thanks to their mild weather throughout the year.

A Canary Islands tourism delegation visited Toronto Wednesday night, a visit that came on the eve of upcoming Air Canada service to the Canary Islands, with the carrier planning to begin direct service from Toronto to Tenerife on Oct. 25 and another direct route from Montreal to Tenerife starting on Oct. 31. Both routes will see twice-a-week service.

Air Transat in turn will begin linking both Montreal and Toronto with Las Palmas in December, service that will continue into April, and is part of the airlines broadening Spain presence. Transat Tours is offering the Canary Islands.

“At the Tourism Office of Spain in Canada, we have been waiting for years for this opportunity, for direct flights to the Canary Islands. So, thank you to the airlines. We all know how important direct flights are when choosing a destination. In 2022, there were 8 direct connections between Canada and Spain. This year, with these two new connections, there are 17. That is more than double in 4 years, and we are very happy and thankful for it,” said Isabel Martin, director of the tourist office’s Canadian office.

“Two thousand years ago, the Romans called the Canary Islands the Fortunate Islands. It was their way of saying that this was the luckiest place in the world because all you could wish for was there. And now I have to say that Toronto and Montreal are the lucky cities because they are the only 2 cities in North America with these direct flights to the Canary Islands.

“I am sure that the Canary Islands will be one of Canadians’ favorite destinations as early as this winter because they offer everything Canadians are looking for in a holiday. And sunshine all year-round is a pretty good argument in a Canadian winter…

“And with these new routes, Spain will consolidate its position as one of the top destinations for Canadian travellers.”

Canary Islands’ tourism minister Jessica de Leon in turn said that visitors will find summer temperatures of around 26 degrees while winter ones will be around the 22-degree mark, enabling people to swim in the ocean in January.

Around 40% of the Canary Islands terrain is protected from development, and the archipelago has 4 national parks, Spain’s highest mountain and 7 biolosphere reserves.

There are also 23 golf courses.

Leticia Gonzalez of the Canary Islands’ tourist board says her destination is unquestionably Spanish, having the Iberian country’s high hotel standards and sense of security.

But she noted the Canary Islands are closer to Africa than they are to mainland Spain, and as well they have strong ties to Latin America, with many islands’ residents having emigrated to Latin America in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of those emigrees eventually returned, bringing influences from Latin America that became permanent Canary Islands’ features.

“It’s 3 different continents at the same time,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez also praised her destination’s pleasant climate. labeling it the “islands of eternal spring.”

Gonzalez’s colleague Juan Hiemenz in turn said the destination — which has long been hosting sun-seekers from more northerly locales– doesn’t actually view visitors as tourists.

“We don’t have tourists,” he said. “We have friends.

“We are all very enthusiastic about our destination, ” he added.

Hiemenz praised the Canary Islands for having “some of the clearest skies on earth.”

Meanwhile, Lisa Lau of Okushu Tours said the event — which had Baxter Media as a participant — showed a different side to Spain.

“Spain isn’t just the mainland. There’s a lot more to explore,” she said.