The 2nd National Congress of Marinas of Spain has commenced at the Salón Gran Canaria of the Hotel Cristina by Tigotan, aiming to address the modernization challenges of nautical-port facilities. Pablo Rodríguez, Minister of Public Works, Housing, and Mobility of the Canary Islands Government, and Tomás Azcárate, President of Marinas de España, have identified infrastructure upgrades, legal certainty, and economic and social recognition of the sector as key working priorities.
The congress, gathering over 250 participants from 64 sports ports and representatives from administrations and companies, is supported by the Canary Islands Government and Puertos Canarios. Pablo Rodríguez emphasized that hosting the event in the archipelago supports the modernization efforts for the Canarian marinas and sports ports, noting the necessity to update obsolete infrastructure.
The Canary Islands Government is promoting the extension of concessions nearing expiration to facilitate new private investments, potentially mobilizing over 60 million euros for the modernization of Canarian marinas. Examples cited include Pasito Blanco (Gran Canaria) and Puerto Calero (Lanzarote), which together plan to invest more than 15 million euros.
Rodríguez linked this policy to the strategic importance of marinas in the Canary Islands, recalling the archipelago's approximately 1,500 kilometers of coastline and arguing that sports port activity generates employment and economic activity beyond boat docking, including naval repair and other business services. Puertos Canarios manages around 50 ports and shelters, implementing measures to improve efficiency through renewable energy and technology.
For his part, Tomás Azcárate stressed the need for national sector cohesion and the recognition of sports and tourist ports as strategic infrastructures. He expressed gratitude for the support from Canarian administrations and highlighted the importance of public-private collaboration for progress in sustainability, economic activity, and tourism. He defined marinas as 'access gates to the sea' for citizens and called for greater institutional understanding of the activity they generate, which accounts for approximately 27,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The congress features presentations and debate panels on concessions, marine and coastal strategies, concession extensions, environmental management, large yachts, innovation, and digitalization. It will conclude with the Pact of Canarias for Marinas, a declaration of principles for sustainable, competitive, and socially open marinas, recognizing them as public interest infrastructure and a driver for investment.
