Turismo de Gran Canaria becomes a sponsor of UD Las Palmas.
Miguel Ángel Ramírez, president of UD Las Palmas, and councilor Carlos Álamo signed a collaboration agreement aimed at promoting Gran Canaria as a tourist destination nationally and internationally. The deal involves a dual collaboration by enhancing exposure in the United Kingdom, fostering a partnership between the yellow entity and Norwich City FC.
Turismo de Gran Canaria and UD Las Palmas signed a collaboration agreement worth 414,000 euros on Tuesday, December 5th, aimed at leveraging UD Las Palmas' successful campaign in La Liga to promote the destination and enhance its competitiveness in origin markets. The estimated return is valued at 1.5 million.
After promoting to La Liga, UD Las Palmas has become a significant draw for Gran Canaria, nationally and internationally. Therefore, both entities agreed to a strategic collaboration with the representative team and the British football team Norwich City Football Club. This partnership aims to boost tourism promotion in the UK, linked through a twinning process.
Hence, as stated by both parties' representatives, this sponsorship will impact three strategic markets for Gran Canaria: the national market of La Liga, the British market through brand exposure in the Premier League, and the international market through twinning agreements UD Las Palmas is pursuing with clubs across continents.
Carlos Álamo, responsible for the tourism sector, mentioned that through this agreement, "Turismo de Gran Canaria aims to have promotional impact and visibility in the 20 cities with teams in La Liga, sports broadcasts, and also benefit from the direct flight connections between Gran Canaria and 20 British cities this winter season. This promotional effort aligns with desirable values for the tourism brand, such as resilience, sportsmanship, healthy living, etc. Additionally, consistent sports coverage in national and international media positively impacts brand presence, combined with the over 3.8 million followers across the club's various official social media platforms."
Miguel Ángel Ramírez emphasized that this agreement "allows us to become ideal ambassadors. By leveraging our content globally, it presents a unique opportunity for a top-tier tourist destination like Gran Canaria, not only to carry the island's name but also to generate social empathy towards UD Las Palmas in other regions, arousing interest in visiting our land."
UD Las Palmas began an internationalization process some years ago and showcased its brand in the last two editions of the World Travel Market in London. Their presence in London in 2022 led to a collaboration with Norwich City FC, described as 'English Canarians in yellow and green,' as stated by Patricio Viñayo, the entity's general director at the fair. Consequently, this paved the way for a three-way agreement between Turismo de Gran Canaria, UD Las Palmas, and, for the first time in history, an English team displaying the name Gran Canaria on their attire.
Miguel Ángel Ramírez pointed out that the international fans "perceive us as a likable team, associate us with South American football, and are surprised when they learn about our island. Through UD Las Palmas, Gran Canaria is placed on the map, showcasing the talent of our footballers and the associative football we practice."
The agreement includes visibility during UD's matches through videos displayed in the stadium, on social media, alongside Gran Canaria Tourism's branding materials, and on TV broadcasts, where the tourist destination will be the sole sponsor for posts published on match days, before, during, and after the game. Meanwhile, the English team will feature Gran Canaria Tourism's logo on their official kit, promotional inserts in all their matches, static advertising, and on the scoreboard. It will also involve celebrating a Gran Canaria day at the Norwich stadium. Additionally, among other initiatives, there's the opportunity to create four videos featuring four Norwich players showcasing the island's tourism highlights.
"Diversifying products is crucial for a high-quality tourist destination like ours. We've said it many times. It's not about just increasing numbers but generating quality tourism, higher customer spending, and greater sector revenue. This involves culture, gastronomy, entertainment, and among other products, sports, where UD Las Palmas plays a key role. Having a team in La Liga is significant, especially considering the success in these initial league months, adding to the elite teams' roles on the island, putting us on the map for many fans. Ultimately, elite teams tour Europe, speaking volumes about Gran Canaria's organizational capacity and undoubtedly providing us with invaluable visibility," concluded the councilor.
