The poll gives special mention to San Bartolome de Tirajana, Gran Canaria's largest municipality. Gran Canaria is the biggest in all of the Canary Islands. Tourism is one of the top three industries fueling the island's economy.
San Bartolome de Tirajana is home to spectacular terrain. Rugged mountains compete with portions of barren desert land, forested valleys and gorgeous coastline.
This vast and varied terrain has landed Gran Canaria the designation of World Biosphere Reserve. It's an international conservation designation assigned by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). This designation helps ensure high standards of conservation practices are adhered to. Development is strictly regulated and monitored; indigenous species are protected; and ecosystems are rigorously maintained.
Some areas have limited or restricted access due to the highly sensitive ecosystems they encompass. San Bartolome de Tirajana is home to one of the island's most beautiful eco-preserves, the Parque Natural de Pilancones. Fortunately for tourists, this particular location is fully accessible by the public. It draws hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the region.
Gran Canaria relies heavily upon San Bartolome de Tirajana for much of the island's annual income. Its resorts, beaches, natural sites and golf courses draw foreign and local tourists alike.
In 2007 the Canary Islands had 3.2 million overnight stays, a drop of 2.2 percent from the previous year, but still the highest number of occupied nights in all of Spain. Despite this drop, the Canary Islands saw a 2 percent increase in tourism overall. This figure has landed it in the top three tourist destinations and suggests that as Europe's economy recovers Gran Canaria will atrract a good number of holidaymakers to her shores.
Tourists polled from Britain noted that the Canaries have the best beaches in Spain. Holidaymakres also enjoy the slower pace found there. Island tourist destinations are usually slightly less accessible than their mainland counterparts. This may be the main reason that the Canary Islands are less crowded with sightseers. Those who do make the effort to get there seem to appreciate the extra elbow room and stay longer.
Tourism officials on Gran Canaria and the Canaries in general are pleased at how tourists see their islands, but far from patting themselves on the back and popping champagne corks, they are aiming to stay on top both during the recession and after.
Businesses in the Canary Islands and on Gran Canaria in particular expect to see continued growth in tourism. Local officials work hard to maintain clean and attractive beaches and public areas. Local businesses are often referred to by visitors as some of the friendliest in Spain. All of these put the Canaries in the running for topping the list of Spanish tourist destinations again in 2009 and beyond too they hope.
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