Spain heading for top spot as a tourist destination once more

November 3, 2011 – 3:16 pm

Spain top destination once more with Brits

Spain is heading for a return to tourism domination as the 2011 visitor figures soar towards a record 57 million, boosted by higher numbers of independent travellers staying in rented accommodation along their favourite Costas.

80% of tourists now book their own flights and accommodation. Average stay in owned apartments or rented villas is now 15 days , twice that of hotels, who have had record occupancy in 2011. Average stay rose two percent and more came people from the UK than any other country.

There are now 370,000 Brits living full-time officially in Spain, drawn by the California climate, cheap food and drink, fiesta lifestyle and above average life expectancy. 1,000s more are planning to join them after Britain came bottom in a survey to find the best place to live. The summer city riots have influenced 1,00s more to quit the UK.

A Lloyds TSB survey found 67% of Brits living in Spain “had no plans to return to Britain” and 74% claimed quality of life was better. The survey found 87% of Brits felt safer in Spain “which is a better place to bring up kids”.

Source: PropertyinSpain.net

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More expats planning to stay abroad

October 27, 2011 – 2:24 pm

In February, Lloyds TBS International released a survey that suggested 67 per cent of expats had no plans to return to Britain – compared to just 56 per cent when the same survey was conducted six months before.

Now, research by the company has revealed that even more people (69 per cent) are planning to stay abroad permanently, with 15 per cent saying they have cancelled plans to return in just the past year.

A combination of improved financial prospects and the belief that quality of life is higher overseas seemed to be the main motivation behind expats’ decision to stay. Despite the financial hardship that many expats, particularly those in Europe, have suffered due to adverse currency fluctuations since the beginning of the economic crisis, 64 per cent said they were still financially better-off abroad, with only a quarter saying that the cost of living was higher.

Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) per cent said their quality of life was higher, with 51 per cent agreeing that their new home was a better place to bring up children. Many expats also felt safer abroad, with just 13 per cent saying that their neighbourhoods in Britain had been less dangerous.

Source: Telegraph.co.uk

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Euro falls as shares slide

July 20, 2011 – 10:29 am

The weakening of the Euro is good for travellers from Britain to Tenerife

The euro dropped the most in a week against the dollar. Italian and Spanish bonds slumped, while shares slid on concern Europe’s debt crisis is worsening. Gold topped a record $1,600 an ounce and silver rose for a fourth day.

The single currency sank 0.9 percent to $1.4022 at 3:31 p.m. in Hong Kong. Yields on 10-year Italian bonds increased nine basis points, while Spanish 10-year debt yields climbed 14 basis points. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index retreated 0.7 percent and the MSCI Asia Pacific excluding Japan Index lost 0.7 percent. Standard & Poor’s 500 Index futures fell 0.6 percent. August- delivery gold rallied for a 10th day and silver jumped 2 percent. Wheat and corn both declined at least 1.3 percent.

European leaders are holding a special summit this week as they seek to contain the region’s debt crisis, after eight of the region’s banks failed stress tests and European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet reiterated the ECB won’t accept as collateral bonds from a nation that defaults. President Barack Obama continued to reach out to lawmakers in both parties this weekend in search of a deficit-cutting deal as the Aug. 2 deadline for raising the U.S. debt ceiling looms.

“What you have at the moment is a lot of indecision,” Simon Flood, chief investment officer at Lion Global Investors Ltd., said in a Bloomberg Television interview from Singapore. “The biggest risk that concerns investors at the moment is what is going to happen in the U.S. People are obviously watching the developments in Europe.”

However a weak Euro is good news for tourists travelling to Tenerife from outside the Euro zone.

Source: Bloomberg Business Week

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Euro value falls after Greek government lose support for a further financial rescue package

June 17, 2011 – 1:20 pm

Euro falls against currencies making Spain and Tenerife cheaper for most people to visit at present.

The euro dropped the most in almost six weeks against the dollar after the Greek prime minister’s government lost political support as the European Union struggled to break a deadlock on a second financial rescue for the nation.

Europe’s shared currency fell versus most of its major counterparts, except for Sweden’s krona, Norway’s krone and Denmark’s krone, which dropped as commodity prices slumped. Demand for assets linked to economic growth also eased after reports showed slowing manufacturing in the U.S. Sterling fell versus the dollar after a report showed Britain’s jobless claims rose in May more than economists forecast.

“There is a lot of noise going on in Europe and in Greece,” said Sara Yates, a foreign-exchange strategist at Barclays Plc in London. “What we’ve seen from the opposition party, that they don’t seem to be on the same page wanting to push through fiscal austerity and more privatization, that is worrying.”

The euro fell 1.8 percent to $1.4181 at 5 p.m. in New York, from $1.4440 yesterday, after touching $1.4156, the lowest level since May 27. It weakened as much as 2 percent against the dollar, the biggest intraday drop since May 5, when it fell as much as 2.1 percent.

Source: BusinessWeek.com

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Spain still top for clean beaches

June 9, 2011 – 11:10 am

Spain and Tenerife's blue flag beaches entice tourists

Despite considerable commercial development along its coastline, it appears that Spain has managed to keep its waters amazingly pristine – 511 of its beaches have been awarded the prestigious Blue Flag eco label this year, proving the nation is still a prized tourist destination for natural attractions.

For the second year running, the country attained the largest number of the prestigious environmental certifications out of any country in Europe, with 104 of Valencia’s beaches, 66 in Andalucia and 63 of the Balearic Islands’ idyllic coves being awarded.

Local authorities can nominate their own beaches for the Blue Flag certification, but it must adhere to strict environmental standards, which have led to a number of previously awarded beaches being struck off the list in recent years, including some in Britain and Israel. Spain’s continuing vigilance when it comes to the environmental quality of its waterways will ensure it remains the ‘beach capital’ of the Continent this summer, a fact which is sure to please estate agents and property owners looking for a happy high season. 

“It is hard to find a better beach haven than Spain and we are lucky that many of our residential developments reside where Blue Flags fly high”, said Ignacio Osle, sales director at locally-based housebuilder Taylor WImpey de Espana. “Beaches across Spain have been vastly improving year on year and along with the relatively short flight times from anywhere in Europe combined with declining holiday costs, visitors will no doubt continue to flock to Spain to sample its glorious beaches.”

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Spanish government property roadshow to tempt European investors

April 28, 2011 – 8:53 am

Jose Blanco unveils plans for European property roadshow to tempt investors back to Spain and Tenerife

The Spanish government will embark on a Europe-wide roadshow to convince  investors to come back to the nation’s property market, starting off with a press conference on the latest industry developments next week in London.

Minister of Public Works Jose Blanco and Housing Secretary Beatriz Corredor will brief UK property investors and media on the latest legal reforms and pricing activity in the Spanish property market, at a conference to be held at the Spanish Embassy next Wednesday.

They will then follow on with a consumer roadshow which will begin in Britain and continue to the Netherlands, France, Germany, Sweden and Russia.

“The Road Show will highlight the strengths of our economy, transparency and legal certainty of our planning legislation”, said Blanco in Madrid last week. “It is a good time to carry out this pioneering initiative because the markets that have the potential to invest in second homes are recovering and we must revive the holiday housing market to speed up the digestion of stock.” 

The Spanish property market is already showing small signs of having begun this ‘digestion’, with a 6.8% overall rise in home sales last year – the first positive figure since its real estate bubble burst in 2007.

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Fewer holidaymakers taking to the sky this year.

August 22, 2010 – 4:40 pm
Less holidaymakers flying to Tenerife, the Canary Isles and Spain

Less holidaymakers flying to Tenerife, the Canary Isles and Spain

Substantially fewer holidaymakers have flown abroad this year than last, official figures have shown.

In the 12 months to June the number of visits abroad by British residents fell by 12 per cent from 63.3 million to 56.0 million – a drop of 7.3 million on the same period in the year before.

The figures from the Office for National Statistics are the latest data to indicate consumers and businesses are still being very cautious about spending money on travelling abroad.

The biggest drop came from businessmen cancelling trips or deciding to stay at home, with business trips falling by 19 per cent.  Holiday visits decreased by 12 per cent to 36.9 million. This shows once again how important it is to market your rental property in Tenerife in a professional manner, using a reliable agent and most important, at the right price point.

Earlier this week, both Thomas Cook and Tui, the two biggest tour operators in the country, said they were experiencing a very difficult summer. Thomas Cook admitted it had been forced to cut the price of holidays between May and July and its still had 160,000 unsold summer holidays.

Last month, The Daily Telegraph reported how camping in Britain had officially overtaken bed and breakfasts in popularity, as millions of families opt for the cheaper option of sleeping under canvas, with more than five million camping trips undertaken last year.

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Thousands flock to Tenerife on cruise ships

January 31, 2010 – 2:18 pm
Thousands of tourists will be boosting Tenerife's economy again soon.

Thousands of tourists will be boosting Tenerife's economy again soon when the cruise ships start to visit once more.

The cruise ships will be bringing much needed revenue to Tenerife in the next few weeks, consisting mostly of  tourists from Britain,France, Germany and Italy. On February 3rd the MSC Fantasy arrives to kick off the influx arriving in Santa Cruz.

With unemployment rising on the island, this will be a welcome boost for the island’s economy.

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Tenerife to cash in on latest survey?

October 12, 2009 – 4:26 pm
Tenerife could cash in on the latest gloomy British survey

Tenerife could cash in on the latest gloomy British survey

Britain is the worst place to live in Europe, according to a study.

Although Britons earn high incomes that money is cancelled out by long working hours, poor annual leave, rising food and fuel bills and a lack of sunshine. Britons have  the highest after-tax household income of £35,730-a-year, more than £10,000 above the European average.

But most of it goes on keeping a “roof over our heads, food on the table and our homes warm”, according to the uswitch.com European Quality of Life Index.

Ann Robinson of uSwitch.com, said: “There is more to good living than money – and this report shows why so many Brits are giving up on the UK and heading to France and Spain.”  Perhaps now is the time to think of renting out your Tenerife property or even selling via an estate agent as winter approaches in the UK and thoughts turn to sunshine!

By Angela | Posted in Economy, General, Health, Holiday, Inspirational, Miscellaneous Articles, Property, Tenerife, Things to Do, Uncategorized, Weather | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)