CSIC-Canarias Extension: Smart Blue Tourism Moves Forward in 2026

Key data

Nautical and coastal tourism operators in the Canary Islands have an open window of opportunity: the smart blue tourism project is not being interrupted. The State Agency CSIC has published the extension addendum to the agreement signed with Promotur Turismo Canarias SA, the Universidad de La Laguna, the Fundación Canaria General de la Universidad de La Laguna and the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, guaranteeing the continuity of activities already underway.

The resolution, published in the BOE on 31 March 2026 with effect from 24 March 2026, prevents any interruption in the execution of a project framed within the Plan de Recuperación, Transformación y Resiliencia (PRTR), funded with Next Generation EU funds.

What does this regulation establish?

The resolution formally publishes the extension addendum to the collaboration agreement between five entities for the joint development of what is known as Blue Tourism: a tourism product linked to the marine and coastal environment of the Canary Islands, managed intelligently through applied research tools and methodologies.

The entities forming part of the extended agreement are:

• Agencia Estatal CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas)
• Promotur Turismo Canarias, SA
• Universidad de La Laguna
• Fundación Canaria General de la Universidad de La Laguna
• Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria

The purpose of the agreement is the joint implementation of actions for the intelligent management and creation of the Blue Tourism product. The extension does not introduce new objectives: its function is to ensure that the research and activities already underway are not interrupted due to the expiry of the original agreement term.

The entire project falls within the PRTR, the Spanish instrument for implementing the Next Generation EU funds approved by the European Union for post-pandemic economic recovery.

Economic and operational impact

For the Canarian tourism sector, the extension of this agreement has an impact primarily in terms of opportunity, not obligation. It does not generate direct costs for private companies nor does it impose new administrative burdens.

The value for private operators lies in the results the project will generate:

• Intelligent management tools applicable to nautical and coastal tourism, developed with scientific backing from the CSIC and two Canarian universities.
• Product development under the Blue Tourism concept, which can open new market segments for operators already established in the marine sector.
• Access to applied knowledge generated with European public funding, at no direct cost to companies in the sector.

The continuity of the project is also relevant from the perspective of PRTR execution: the extension prevents the Next Generation EU funds committed to this project from going unspent due to deadline issues, thereby protecting the funding already allocated.

Who is affected?

• Nautical tourism operators in the Canary Islands: boat rental companies, boat excursions, diving, snorkelling and similar activities.
• Coastal and marine nature tourism operators: whale watching companies, coastal routes, sea kayaking, paddle surfing and activities in coastal environments.
• Promotur Turismo Canarias SA: as a signatory entity of the agreement, it plays an active role in the implementation of activities.
• Universidad de La Laguna and Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria: as research and project implementation entities.
• Fundación Canaria General de la Universidad de La Laguna: as a support and management entity linked to the ULL.
• The Canarian tourism sector in general: any company or professional that may incorporate the project results into their product offering.

Practical example

A Canarian company operating whale watching excursions in Tenerife or Gran Canaria can directly benefit from the results of this agreement. The project develops intelligent marine tourism management tools: this can translate into information systems on environmental conditions, route planning models or product standards that differentiate the Canarian offering in international markets.

Being funded with Next Generation EU funds through the PRTR, the private operator accesses these results without bearing the cost of the research. The extension guarantees that this work is not interrupted mid-process, which protects the ultimate usefulness of the results for the sector.

If the company is in the process of renewing or expanding its product offering, this is the time to keep a close eye on the publications and tools generated by the CSIC-Promotur-Canarian universities consortium.

What should companies do now?

1. Identify whether your activity fits within blue tourism: if you operate in marine, coastal or nautical environments in the Canary Islands, this project is directly relevant to your business.
2. Follow publications from Promotur Turismo Canarias: as a signatory entity of the agreement, Promotur is the natural channel for disseminating results to the private sector.
3. Contact the participating universities (Universidad de La Laguna and Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria) if your company is interested in collaborating or accessing applied research results.
4. Review PRTR calls linked to tourism: the extension of this agreement confirms that the Next Generation EU funding framework remains active for the Canarian tourism sector, which may open additional calls for applications.
5. Update your product offering when the intelligent management tools developed in the project become available, to differentiate yourself in the marine tourism market.

Official source

View full regulation at official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-7335