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Doing business & staying in touch

Business people are generally expected to dress smartly. English is widely spoken in the resorts but far less so in the smaller towns and villages. Some knowledge of the Spanish language is always appreciated and sometimes essential.

Office hours: 

Tend to vary considerably but base hours of 0900-1330 and 1700-1900 are fairly typical.

Economy: 

Tourism is by far the greatest driving force of the island's economy. With well over 2 million visitors a year, the hospitality industry and service sector represent a significant amount of Gran Canaria's productive capacity.

Away from tourism, agriculture and fishing are also important economic activities with tomatoes, bananas and citrus fruits widely grown. The island's manufacturing industry is centered on textiles and embroidery.

GDP: 

US$52.2 billion (Canary Islands) (2005).

Main exports: 

Bananas, tomatoes, flowers, ornamental plants and aloe vera.

Main imports: 

Vehicles, mechanical and electronic equipment, medical and pharmaceutical supplies.

Main trading partners: 

France, Germany, Italy, UK and Portugal.

Telephone: 

Emergency calls: 112. Area codes are incorporated within a nine digit number.

Mobile phone: 

Roaming agreements exist with most international mobile phone companies. Coverage is good across most of the island.

Internet: 

There is a variety of Internet cafes in most urban areas.

Post: 

There are efficient internal and international postal services (correos) to all countries. Airmail within Europe usually takes around five days.

Media: 

Broadcasting in Spain has witnessed a spectacular expansion in recent years with the emergence of new commercial operators and the launch of digital services.

Press: 

• El Independiente and Canarias 7 are Spanish dailies covering the Canary Islands.
• El Dia is a pro-independence, Spanish daily with a wide readership, covering all the islands.
• Round Town News is an English-language fortnightly newspaper covering Gran Canaria.
• Island Connections is another English language fortnightly paper but with more emphasis on Tenerife.

Television: 

• TV Canaria and TV Canaria 2 are local channels for the Canary Islands.
• State-owned TVE operates TV-1 (La Primera) and TV-2 (La Dos).
• Antena 3, La Cuatro, Telecinco and La Sexta are privately run channels.
• Canal 7 is a local TV channel based in Gran Canaria.

Radio: 

• RNE is state-run. It operates Radio 1, Radio Clasica, Radio 3 and Radio 5.
• Cadena SER, Onda Cero and Cadena 40 Principales are popular commercial stations.
• PowerFM is an English-language radio station broadcasting throughout the Canary Islands.
• Top 21 Radio is an English-language radio station broadcasting from Maspalomas.

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