The Canary Islands Government has launched a £1 million Europe-wide promotional campaign to entice more visitors and prove that the islands have more to offer than just sun, sea and sand…
Tenerife is fondly known as 'The Island of Eternal Spring'
The Islands (Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote in particular) have always been a favourite of British holidaymakers and second home owners. The British Embassy calculates that nearly four million Britons visit the islands each year, and 60,000 are resident.
Much of the Islands’ income comes from tourism, with Brits providing a large part of that.
Now, as the credit crunch hits the UK hard, hoteliers and restaurant owners on the Canary Islands are concerned that the tourist market may flop, as Brits stay closer to home to conserve cash.
Last year, devastating fires hit the peak tourist season hard, destroying sections of Tenerife and Grand Canaria. This, along with the credit crunch, has led the Canary Islands’ Government to launch a new campaign in a bid to entice more tourists and highlight the many attractions on offer in the archipelago.
Called ‘The Three Stadiums Of Happiness,’ the £1.26 million campaign was launched as an exhibition at the Arsenal FC’s home - Emirates Stadium, in London, last week.
The main aim of the campaign is to showcase the Canary Islands as more than just a hot beach destination, by highlighting the tenets of family, wellness, sea and nature.
The Canary Islands are hoping that visitors that hadn’t previously considered the islands will be attracted to the nature, wildlife and spas, as well as the ever popular beaches.
Tenerife's Mt Teide is the highest peak in Europe at 3,717.91 metres (12,198 feet)
The Tourism Vice-Minister of the Canary Islands, Ms Maria del Carmen Harnandez Bento, said, “The Canaries have always been a popular destination with British holidaymakers, especially given our winter sun and fine beaches. However, this new exhibition presents an opportunity for the islands collectively to highlight another side of life in the Canary Islands to holidaymakers and for us to present a range of other activity options too.”
The announcement of the new campaign follows speeches from the Canarian Government at the recent travel industry event - ‘World Travel Market’ - which underlined the importance of British visitors to the Island’s tourism sector.
However, stand-in Regional Vice-President of the Government of the Canary Islands José Manuel Soria, said the Canaries had ‘no need to worry’ about its principal source of holiday revenue, because the UK authorities had taken solid measures to boost the economy.
“British people have a need to travel,” said Mr Soria, who recalled that Britons spend an average of €97 (£82) a day when on holiday in the Canaries.
Tourism Minister Rita Martín said that if British holidaymakers did not exist, ‘we would have to invent them,’ so crucial is their role to the Canaries’ tourist industry!
