Will take place on 25 and 26 November 2026 at ExpoMeloneras

The 13th edition will be held under the “Science & Cooking World Congress” banner, with Pere Castells leading a programme that connects tourism, science and gastronomy.

• Alejandro Marichal: “Investing in the training of our professionals means investing in the quality and competitiveness of Maspalomas Costa Canaria.”
• Yilenia Vega: “We want the knowledge shared at the Forum to reach the companies and professionals who shape the destination’s tourism experience.”
• Pere Castells: “To successfully face the future of gastronomy, it is essential to equip it with knowledge.”

The Department of Tourism of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council announces the XIII edition of the International Tourism Forum Maspalomas Costa Canaria, which will take place on 25 and 26 November 2026 at ExpoMeloneras. This year, the event will be held under the “Science & Cooking World Congress” banner and will bring together professionals, specialists and representatives from the sector to explore the relationship between tourism, gastronomy, science and innovation.

Over the course of two days, the programme will address the design of future gastronomic experiences, sustainability in the restaurant industry, and the changes that computational gastronomy and artificial intelligence will bring. The programme combines round tables, conferences and practical workshops aimed at professionals and anyone interested in the evolution of food and tourism.

The partnership with the Science & Cooking World Congress places the dialogue between cooking and science at the heart of the programme. Pere Castells, president of the SCWC Foundation and author of La cocina del futuro (“The Kitchen of the Future”), will give a presentation on what cooking will look like in the coming years and the role it can play in gastronomic tourism.

Speakers and programme content

The programme will bring together perspectives that connect gastronomy with tourism planning and restaurant management. Sergio Moreno, linked to the UNESCO Chair in Tourism Planning and Sustainable Development at ULPGC, will share the programme with chefs Germán Ortega and Manolo Vilariño, as well as Ignacio Bernaldo de Quirós, Corporate F&B Director at Lopesan Group.

The practical and sensory side of the programme will be led by Heinz Wuth, chef and communicator specialising in science applied to cooking, and Salvador Brugués, an expert in cooking techniques and sustainability. They will be joined by Karen Rützou, a specialist in food and wine tasting, and Fermina Pérez, a chemist specialising in neurogastronomy, who will explore how we perceive and experience food.

The discussion on the future of food will feature specialists offering perspectives from gastronomic research, sustainable aquaculture, environmental innovation and artificial intelligence. Participants will include physicist Davide Cassi, a researcher in computational gastronomy; Ricardo Haroun, a ULPGC researcher specialising in sustainable aquaculture and marine ecosystems; environmental consultant Juan Martín Bermúdez; Daniel Li, an expert in artificial intelligence; and Florence Egal, a specialist in food security and sustainable diets. Chef Najat Kaanache, founder of Nur restaurant in Fez, will close the programme with her vision of the evolution of gastronomy.

The First Deputy Mayor of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Alejandro Marichal, stated: “A quality tourism destination must improve every day. We need to anticipate change, modernise and remain competitive, but this transformation must also reach those who work in the sector. We need increasingly well-trained professionals who are able to adapt to new demands and new tools, as well as a tourism sector where people can grow and develop professionally.” He also emphasised that “the quality of Maspalomas Costa Canaria is also built by those who assist our tourists and visitors every day, which is why the Administration must also promote spaces that serve as tools to improve the sector’s professional preparation and the destination’s competitiveness.”

Yilenia Vega stated that the Department of Tourism “wants to consolidate the International Tourism Forum of Maspalomas as an increasingly specialised, professional and useful space for the sector. We do not want the knowledge to remain within the Forum; we want it to reach the companies and professionals who shape the destination’s tourism experience every day. That is why this edition combines reflection, scientific knowledge and practical content, incorporating areas such as sustainability, neurogastronomy, innovation and artificial intelligence, which are already shaping the evolution of tourism and gastronomy.”

From the Science & Cooking World Congress Foundation, its president, Pere Castells, highlighted that “the collaboration between the International Tourism Forum Maspalomas Costa Canaria and the Science & Cooking World Congress is an essential strategic alliance and a major commitment to the future.”

The International Tourism Forum Maspalomas Costa Canaria is organised by the Department of Tourism of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council. The programme for the XIII edition and the registration forms are now available on the official website, maspalomasforoturismo.com, where visitors can find full information about the event and complete their registration.

The XIII International Tourism Forum of Maspalomas is organised by the Department of Tourism of the San Bartolomé de Tirajana City Council, co-organised by the Science & Cooking World Congress Foundation and Turismo Innova Gran Canaria, with the collaboration of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.