Hecansa

What Hecansa does

Hecansa (legal name: Hoteles Escuela de Canarias, S.A.) is a public company owned by the Government of the Canary Islands and headquartered in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain. Founded in 1990, it operates dual vocational training programs for the hospitality and tourism sector, combining classroom instruction at five owned training facilities (Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida, Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz, Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Herrera, Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Camellos, and Bistro Escuela Melenara) with paid apprenticeships at partner hotel chains including Iberostar, Barceló, Princess, H10, and Satocan. The core product portfolio spans programs in Kitchen Management, Gastronomy, Hotel Management, Food and Beverage Direction, and Bakery/Pastry/Confectionery, complemented by language immersion modules in Germany, Ireland, and France, plus employment-services and entrepreneurship offerings delivered jointly with the Servicio Canario de Empleo and Fundación Incyde.

The business model blends three revenue streams: (1) direct commercial revenue from operating the training hotels and restaurants (transaction-based room and F&B income), (2) public-sector funding and capital grants from the regional Ministry of Tourism and Employment and Next Generation EU (recent €4.6M technology-center grant and recurring credit expansions for renovation), and (3) training-services revenue including Erasmus+ international placements and specialized professional courses. Pricing is heavily subsidized: many programs are free for tourism-sector professionals and €200,000 is allocated annually to student scholarships. Hecansa reports over 10,000 trained professionals since 1990 with historical employment insertion rates of 70-98%.

In May 2024 the company opened the Centro Tecnológico para la formación del sector turístico, a technology center with a tourism-business incubator funded by €4.6M from Next Generation EU, signaling a pivot from pure vocational training toward technology-enabled hospitality solutions. The company is led by Consejera delegada Paola Plasencia and operates under a recently renewed collective labor agreement covering 190 workers, with a Strategic Plan 2025-2028 in force and exploratory international expansion into Cabo Verde underway.

Name

Hecansa

Legal name

Hoteles Escuela de Canarias, S.A.

Website

https://hecansa.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hecansa (Hoteles Escuela de Canarias) is a public, government-owned vocational training company in Spain that delivers dual hospitality and tourism training across five Canary Islands facilities and partner hotel chains, serving students, working professionals, and tourism entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Hospitality and Tourism Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Traveler Accommodation (7211), Full-Service Restaurants (722511)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Restaurant & Foodservice Operations Management (EDAOAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Professional Culinary Arts (Chef Training) (EDAOAKAA), Institutional & Commercial Kitchen Training (Schools/Healthcare/Corporate) (EDAOAKAL), Hotel & Resort Restaurants (THAFACAH)

Keywords

• Hospitality vocational training
• Dual professional training
• Hotel management education
• Culinary arts training
• Tourism training services

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Palmas De Gran Canaria

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Public Government Funding: As a public company (empresa pública) of the Government of Canary Islands, Hecansa receives government funding through the Ministry of Tourism and Employment. The company also invests in facility improvements and staff training.
2. Commercial Operations - Hotels and Restaurants: Revenue from operating training hotels (Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida, Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz) and training restaurants (Restaurante Satautey, Restaurante El Mirador, Restaurante Los Herrera, Bistro Escuela Melenara) where students gain practical experience with real customers.
3. Training Services and Erasmus+ Programs: Some programs are funded through Erasmus+ for international placements, and the company offers specialized training courses for tourism professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hecansa (Hoteles Escuela de Canarias) is a public vocational training institution that delivers dual professional training in hospitality and tourism, combining theoretical instruction at training centers with paid practical apprenticeships in its own hotel schools and partner hotel establishments. The core offering encompasses specialized programs in Culinary Arts (Dirección de Cocina, Gastronomía), Hotel Management (Gestión Hotelera), Food and Beverage Management, and Bakery/Pastry/Confectionery, supported by five owned training facilities across the Canary Islands.

Product overview

Hecansa (Hoteles Escuela de Canarias) is a public company providing vocational training in hospitality and tourism sectors through a network of hotel-schools and restaurants. The core offering is Dual Vocational Training (Formación Profesional Dual) combining theoretical instruction with hands-on practice in real establishments. The training portfolio includes specialized programs in Kitchen Management (Dirección de Cocina), Gastronomy (Gastronomía), Hotel Management (Gestión Hotelera), Food and Beverage Management (Dirección de Alimentos y Bebidas), and Bakery & Pastry (Panadería, Repostería y Confitería). Students gain practical experience at five training facilities: Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida and Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz (hotel schools), Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Camellos and Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Herrera (rural hotel schools), and Bistro Escuela Melenara (training restaurant). Additional offerings include language immersion programs abroad, employment services, and a recently opened Technology Center for tourism sector innovation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formación Profesional Dual (Dual Vocational Training) Vocational training program combining theoretical instruction at Hecansa training centers with experiential learning in hotel establishments and partner companies, including paid apprenticeship contracts in the intensive dual modality covering up to 50% of training time.
• Programa de Dirección de Cocina (Kitchen Management Program) Training program for directing and organizing all kitchen activities, from provisioning to service.
• Programa de Gastronomía (Gastronomy Program) Training program covering pre-elaboration, preparation, conservation, finishing/presentation and service of all types of culinary preparations.
• Programa de Gestión Hotelera (Hotel Management Program) Training program in organization and management of tourist accommodation establishments.
• Programa de Dirección de Alimentos y Bebidas (Food and Beverage Management Program) Training program for directing and organizing food and beverage production and service in restaurants as first line of any gastronomic establishment or bar.
• Programa de Panadería, Repostería y Confitería (Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery Program) Training program for elaborating and presenting bakery, pastry and confectionery products with emphasis on effectiveness and hygiene.
• Hotel Escuela Santa Brígida Hotel school in Santa Brígida, Gran Canaria providing practical training for hospitality students through real hotel operations serving customers.
• Hotel Escuela Santa Cruz Hotel school in Santa Cruz de Tenerife providing practical training for hospitality students through real hotel operations.
• Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Camellos Rural hotel school located in a traditional Canarian house providing hospitality training with focus on rural tourism.
• Hotel Escuela Rural Casa de Los Herrera Rural hotel school in La Gomera providing hospitality training with local focus, trained 219 people in its first year through 21 courses.
• Bistro Escuela Melenara Training bistro in Melenara, Gran Canaria where students practice restaurant service skills serving real customers.
• Centro Tecnológico para la formación del sector turístico Technology center providing technological solutions for the hospitality and tourism sector, featuring a business incubator for tourism enterprises.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% historical employment insertion rate over 33 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gobierno de Canarias - Consejería de Turismo y EmpleocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 January 2025Parent government body providing strategic direction, funding, and policy alignment. Invests in facility improvements (1.2 million euros for Santa Cruz renovations) and supports strategic plan implementation.
• Cabildo de La GomeracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2024Collaboration agreement for comprehensive hospitality training program on La Gomera island. More than 25 free activities including courses taught by Michelin-starred chefs. Includes free training for restaurant sector professionals.
• Instituto de Formación Profesional Marítimo PesquerominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 September 2024Collaboration to implement maritime professional certification programs including professional cook certification. Agreement funded by Next Generation EU.
• Iberostar Hotels & ResortscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2024Flagship partnership for intensive dual vocational training. Started with 36 students in 2024, expanded to 83 students in 2024/25. Students alternate between Hecansa schools and Iberostar hotels with paid training contracts. Also includes international training components in UK and Germany.
• Barceló Hotel GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2024Hotel chain partner for dual vocational training in intensive mode. Students from Hecansa complete practical training in Barceló hotels in Tenerife and Gran Canaria.
• Princess HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2024Hotel chain partner for dual vocational training programs. 65 students continue their paid training at Princess hotels in Gran Canaria.
• H10 HotelscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2024Hotel chain partner for dual vocational training. Students in Tenerife complete practical training at H10 establishments.
• SatocancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 June 2024Local hotel group partner for dual vocational training in Gran Canaria, contributing to student practical training.
• Basque Culinary CenterminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 June 2024Collaboration for advanced culinary training applying new techniques to Canary Islands products, delivered at Hecansa hotels in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
• Michelin-Starred Chef Alumni (Espino, Ortega, Suárez, Fernández)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 January 2024Collaboration with four Michelin-starred Hecansa alumni to provide master classes, workshops, and demonstrations. José Luis Espino (Bevir), Abraham Ortega (Tabaiba), Víctor Suárez (Haydée), and Génesis Fernández serve as ambassadors and instructors.
• Cabo Verde Ministry of TourismminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2023Interest from Cabo Verde government in Hecansa's model for potential hotel school establishment in Isla de Sal, including quality certification, recipe books, and student/faculty exchange between Macaronesia regions.
• Fundación Instituto Cameral para la Creación y Desarrollo de la Empresa (Incyde)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2023Joint program for entrepreneurship and sustainable tourism business creation. Part of European Social Fund recovery plan, co-financed by FSE. Six-week programs at Hecansa centers.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Escuela de Hostelería de Madrid: Madrid-based hospitality and culinary vocational school. Comparable dual-cohort model training students for hotel and restaurant careers, competing for similar Spanish student demographics.
• Basque Culinary Center: World-renowned culinary faculty in San Sebastián offering higher education in gastronomy. Hecansa has an active collaboration with Basque Culinary Center for advanced culinary training, indicating direct product overlap in culinary arts education.
• Escuela Superior de Hostelería de Sevilla: Andalusian hospitality vocational school offering culinary and hotel management training. Directly comparable in operating model combining classroom and practical training in real hotel/restaurant environments.
• CETT Barcelona School of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy: Barcelona-based tourism and hospitality training institution affiliated with the University of Barcelona. Comparable in offering integrated hospitality and culinary programs with strong industry placement.

Others

• Instituto de Formación Profesional Marítimo Pesquero: Spanish maritime vocational training institute. While primarily focused on maritime professions, it has a formal collaboration with Hecansa on professional cook certification, representing an adjacent training ecosystem.
• Servicio Canario de Empleo (SCE): Canary Islands public employment service. Functions as both a referral channel for Hecansa's employment training programs and a regional policy partner in workforce development for the tourism sector.

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: Global network of culinary and hospitality institutes with established brand prestige. While operating at much larger scale internationally, it competes for the same high-end culinary training aspirants and employer attention.
• Glion Institute of Higher Education: Swiss hospitality management school with global campuses. Comparable in delivering premium hotel management education, though focused on degree programs rather than dual vocational training.
• Les Roches: Swiss-based global hospitality management school. Comparable in offering hotel management and hospitality training programs, though operating at higher price points and targeting international luxury hospitality careers.

Regional players

• Escuela de Hostelería de Canarias (various island schools): Other regional Canary Islands vocational training providers focused on hospitality. They compete for the same local student pool and may overlap with Hecansa's employer partnerships in the islands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hecansa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgYTVYq0ZssjaQ0sd8lmbuQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/hecansa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hecansa
• Instagraminstagram.com/hecansa
• TikToktiktok.com/@hecansa

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hecansa