Gran Canaria - an island to be discovered.

Pamela M., International Management Studies in the Baltic Sea Region (BMS), 7^th semester, Spain, Gran Canaria, San Bartolomé de Tirajana, Dunas Hotels & Resorts, Winter semester 2023/24

Finding an internship and other information

For someone whose study program is International Management, finding an internship was harder than expected as the island’s economy mainly relies on the tourism industry. As expected, when searching for an internship, most of the offers were about working in hotels, therefore it took a long time to finally find something related to my studies. When sending out applications, extensive language knowledge in several languages is highly. I would suggest starting the internship search several months in advance to not have to stress about it at the last moment. Although it is a highly touristic island, it is important to have at least some knowledge of Spanish for day-to-day life because locals often do not speak English. It is important to note that internships in Spain are not remunerated. Therefore, if a place to stay is not offered by the hiring company, it will be important to have additional funding to be able to afford housing and all other costs that result to be significantly high in the south.

Leisure

There are countless things one can do in Canaria as the nature is extremely varied. It is in fact possible to enjoy spending relaxing days at one of the many beaches, but also engage in amazing hikes to explore the mountain landscape in the center of the island, or even visit the Dunes in Maspalomas which resemble a lot the Sahara Desert. The island offers various occasions to celebrate and have fun collectively, such as the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Maspalomas Carnivals lasting one whole month, several festivals, parties, and more. Living in the South can get quite underwhelming since everywhere you go you are surrounded by hotels and resorts. That’s why every weekend I was out of the city, off to the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, or to discover the more authentic places on the island and, above all, the breathtaking nature. Some locations I really loved were the highest point of the island “El Pico de Las Nieves”, from which you can see breathtaking sunsets and unspoiled nature as well as the island of Tenerife, and then Playa del Ingles and the beach of Las Canteras that are characterized by a long avenue where one can have relaxing walks and where it is possible to get a drink or try the local delicacies in one of the many bars and restaurants. Once one has received the foreigner identification document (NIE) and has registered as a resident of the island, it is possible to request the so called “Bono Guagua”, a card which allows residents to travel fully for free on all buses and routes of the island. This makes it incredibly cheap and easy to explore every place on the island that one may wish to.

My internship

My internship was in the Sales & Marketing department in the headquarters of the hotel chain of Dunas Hotels & Resorts in the touristic city of Maspalomas in the south of Gran Canaria. This enterprise owns 4 hotels on the island and counts on an extensive network of people to ensure operations run smoothly and effectively. I was warmly welcomed in the team and as my internship progressed and my supervisors developed more trust in me, I was entrusted with performing tasks holding higher responsibilities such as dealing with contracts with the various tour operators, issuing proforma invoices, charging commissions to customers, or updating the company’s website.

Conclusion

Gran Canaria is an island worth discovering, and it is much more than just a touristic destination for people to escape the cold winters in their own countries. All in all, I can certainly say that my experience in Gran Canaria not only helped me to grow professionally but also helped me to grow as a person. The warmth of the locals as well as the friendships that I built with the other internees is something that I will forever remember with a big smile and never forget. My work and contribution during the internship were acknowledged by the commercial director and at the end of my internship, I was offered a job in the Sales & Marketing department.