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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. Attitudes to such things as responding to e-mails, letters and phone calls can be surprisingly casual.

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 almost 2 million visitors a year, the hospitality industry, service sector and other tourism-related sectors represent close to 90% of Lanzarote's economic activity.

Arrecife has the second largest port in the Canaries and supports a fishing industry that has always been a traditional mainstay of the island's economy.

Wines and cochineal production are also traditional industries that continue to thrive on Lanzarote.
Lanzarote Convention Bureau
C/ Blas Cabrera Felipe S/N, 35500, Arrecife, Lanzarote
Tel: 928 811 762.

Spain Convention Bureau (FEMP)
Calle Nuncio 8, 28005 Madrid, Spain
Tel: 913 643 700.
Website: www.femp.es

GDP: 

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

Main exports: 

Onions, wine and cochineal (a natural red dye).

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.
• La Voz is a local Spanish-language newspaper published in Lanzarote.
• Lanzarote Gazette is an English-language magazine and tourist guide.

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.

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 from Lanzarote and Tenerife.

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