New tourist office at Santa Cruz bus hub

Santa Cruz de Tenerife's city government has awarded the construction of a new tourist information office at the Intercambiador de Transportes, adding a visitor desk at one of the city's main public-transport gateways. The project will be built in the garden area of the interchange near the crossing by El Corte Inglés, according to local reports on May 13 and May 14. The contract was awarded to Eco Steel Proyectis for about 407,600 euros, with a 10-month execution period. City officials have said the office is intended to serve both visitors and bus passengers moving through the hub. ### Where exactly will the new office go? The new office will be located in the Intercambiador de Transportes de Santa Cruz, in the area around the crossing with El Corte Inglés, according to local reporting on the award. That places the facility at a high-traffic point used by people arriving and transferring through the capital's main bus and tram interchange. The Intercambiador opened in June 2006 and combines the city's bus station with other transport services, while also including a parking facility with 1,400 spaces, according to TITSA, the island's public transport operator. The city has described the interchange as one of Santa Cruz's main entry points and a mobility node for thousands of people each day. (diariodeavisos.elespanol.com) ### What did the city award, and to whom? Eco Steel Proyectis won the works contract, according to a May 14 report by Diario de Avisos. The reported award value was about 407,600 euros and the execution period was set at 10 months. The project calls for a small tourist office of about 30 square meters built area, intended to provide information about Santa Cruz and help visitors plan routes, cultural visits and leisure activities in the city. (titsa.com) Diario de Avisos reported that the structure will have two levels and a large pergola with LED lighting. (diariodeavisos.elespanol.com) ### Why is the city adding another tourist desk now? Carmen Pérez, chief executive of the Sociedad de Desarrollo, said in February 2025 that Santa Cruz planned to begin works in 2025 on a new tourism office integrated into the Intercambiador. She said the project was financed under the Tourism Sustainability Plan with Next Generation funds and was meant to strengthen the city's tourism infrastructure and improve services for visitors and residents. (diariodeavisos.elespanol.com) Pérez also said the office was designed to reinforce service for excursionists arriving from the north and south of Tenerife. That places the new desk within a broader effort by the city to expand visitor services beyond its existing tourism points in the historic center and cruise port. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### How busy are Santa Cruz's existing tourist information services? Santa Cruz attended nearly 134,000 people through its tourist information offices in 2024, according to the city council. Of that total, 85,217 visitors were assisted at the Palacio de Carta tourist office and 48,551 at the cruise information kiosk, the council said on February 4, 2025. (santacruzdetenerife.es) José Manuel Bermúdez, the city's mayor, said at the time that British visitors accounted for 32.6% of those assisted, followed by Spaniards at 28.7% and Germans at 21.7%. The city also said cruise-related assistance rose 16% year over year in 2024, reaching 324 ships attended. (santacruzdetenerife.es) ### What have city officials said about the project? Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez said the new infrastructure was another step in the city's strategy to modernize and improve tourism services, according to Diario de Avisos. He said the chosen location was key because the interchange is one of the main gateways into Santa Cruz. (santacruzdetenerife.es) Carlos Tarife, the councillor for Strategic Planning, said the project fit the city's commitment to a more sustainable and modern urban tourism model and was designed to improve the image of a heavily used space. Those characterizations were made by the officials in comments reported after the award. (diariodeavisos.elespanol.com) The 10-month timetable means construction is now the next milestone for Eco Steel Proyectis at the Intercambiador site near El Corte Inglés, following the city's award of the contract on May 14. (diariodeavisos.elespanol.com)