With this action, the Tourism Department of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria finalizes its participation in the World Travel Market in London, which will take place between November 7 and 9
The managing director of Tourism of Gran Canaria points out that the connectivity and reservation data predict a good winter, after last summer the British presence on the island already grew by 2% over the summer before the pandemic.
The technicians call for communicating actions linked to sustainability, as it is already a priority for 70% of British customers
This morning, Gran Canaria Tourism offered a presentation to professionals in the sector in which the current situation and the main developments presented by the British market were addressed in view of the winter season, which begins this weekend, and on the occasion of the imminent participation of the Gran Canaria Cabildo entity in the World Travel Market fair, which will take place between November 7 and 9 in London. “The market appears active and very interesting. The connectivity and reservation data predict a good winter, after last summer the presence of this client on the Island grew by 2% compared to 2019,” said Pablo Llinares, managing director of Gran Canaria Tourism. which indicated that, despite the economic uncertainty, “we are possibly going to reach the 2019 data, that is, 4.5 million tourists in Gran Canaria.”
The Gran Canaria Tourism event took place this Tuesday in the Bandama Room of the Gran Canaria Fair Institution, Infecar, with the presence of about 50 tourism professionals and businessmen. The event began with an explanation of the variety of statistical information and reports that the Cabildo de Gran Canaria entity puts at the service of professionals through its website.
Next, a promoter and the technician responsible for Gran Canaria Tourism in the United Kingdom and Ireland gave an introduction to the current keys to the British market, with issues presumably overcome such as Brexit or Covid restrictions; and others of greater relevance such as the recent changes in the government and the devaluation of the pound with an inflation of 10,8% that raises serious concern about the financial situation and the possibilities of tourist spending.
However, during the presentation, Gran Canaria Tourism professionals highlighted that the British market is evolving at a good pace, ahead of the rest of the markets in terms of the number of clients. “61% of those surveyed say that they are willing to save and reduce expenses in other aspects of their life to maintain a vacation that they consider essential,” explained the Cabildo technicians.
This summer, tourists linked to English tour operators have exceeded the volume of the same period in 2 by between 4% and 2019%. This data coincides with the percentage increase in British clients in Gran Canaria during the summer episode. However, this collides with the increase in prices, something that, although it has increased spending by 25%, has also reduced the profit margin of companies, still remaining in the profit phase.
Regarding forecasts, the Association of British Travel Agents, ABTA, predicts that overseas tourism from the United Kingdom will grow by 15% compared to 2019 levels in the next five years. In addition, 77% say they will spend the same or more on trips abroad in 2023 and 63% opt for complete vacation packages. The main reasons are the value for money, everything organized and included.
Another notable factor, in a positive key, is the increase in ATOL licenses, in reference to travel organizers, compared to 2019. JET2Holidays, for example, has significantly reduced the difference with TUI UK and between the two firms they manage the movements of 11 million passengers.
For the British customer, priority is maintained for sun and beach products and stays of 7 to 10 days, with greater strength in all-inclusive packages. The reports also include a greater presence of nature getaways and online reservations through intermediaries that offer cancellation and financing guarantees. In this sense, the importance of the travel consultant has increased, and 33% of clients have booked with the help of an agency or other consultants.
What is clear, according to Gran Canaria Tourism professionals, is that Spain continues to be the preferred destination of the British, with the Canary Islands as the star destination for its climate, familiarity and proximity, along with the Balearic Islands. In second place, destinations such as Portugal, the Greek Islands and Turkey appear among the major competitions.
Communicate sustainability
In the presentation there was also a section aimed at businessmen to address the issue of sustainability, a concept that is imposed on the British customer, who is beginning to opt for the most sustainable option both on the flight and at the destination. The technicians pointed out that this information is not easily found, which is why they recommended enhancing the communication of all actions carried out by companies, since it is something that is valued to the point of defining the place of containment. In this sense, it was noted that 70% of British customers look for more sustainable options, but they do not always know how to identify them. They look for vacations away from the crowds, rural hotels, sports, active tourism, rural, agricultural, gastronomic and stargazing experiences. All this is interpreted as sustainable tourism. Therefore, the entity considers that they are concepts that we have highly developed in Gran Canaria and it is necessary for this to reach the client and make them recognize the island destination for its sustainable offer. “We must put on the sustainable label, because our product fits perfectly,” they declared.
The presentation ended with a review of the commercial and promotional agreements made both with large vertical tour operators and with the entire chain, with the intention of reaching the client with an accurate message and with quality information and the care of the image that corresponds to a destination like Gran Canaria. The effort made with the media, associations and professional magazines, bloggers, etc. was also valued, with the intention of them becoming prescribers of the Island.
Before ending the event, there was a time for questions and consultations. The manager concluded by highlighting that “it is important that the sector knows that we will be with them at the World Travel Market and that they give us their point of view, their concerns and their feedback and thus be able to hold all the necessary meetings with the British sector and together we can face the winter in the best possible way,” concluded Llinares.
