The archipelago will be present with a spectacularly designed and more sustainable pavilion at the Madrid tourism fair, where there will be 325 companies and 770 accredited Canarian professionals, figures significantly higher than those of 2022.
Yaiza Castilla highlights that, discounting the effect of average inflation in the European Union, the real increase in tourist turnover in the Canary Islands in 2022 was 16,5% compared to the pre-pandemic year.
Canary Islands Tourism will attend Fitur 2023 with an unstoppable increase in demand for trips to the islands despite the global economic context. This was explained by the Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, in the press conference in which she detailed the presence of the archipelago at this event.
“The desire to travel is above any condition and we will continue to promote it through our intense promotional activity and with our special commitment to those tourists who guarantee a longer stay and spending at the destination, as well as less dependence on connectivity,” explained Yaiza Castilla during the presentation, in which she was accompanied by the managing director of Tourism of the Canary Islands, José Juan Lorenzo.
As Castilla explained, Canary Islands tourism faces a 2023 marked by persistent uncertainties and increased risks regarding macroeconomic developments and their impact on the travel market, due to strong pressures on energy prices, the decline in household purchasing power, and higher interest rates.
“However, despite all this, travel continues unabated and the outlook remains very positive for the islands, which are experiencing an increase in regular air capacity put on sale, both for this winter and for next summer,” Castilla said.
Compared to the pre-pandemic year, the Canary Islands has 9 million seats offered for this winter, 25,2% more than in 2019, while for the summer season air capacity is currently increasing by 12,4%, with 11,2 million seats scheduled compared to 9,9 million in the summer of 2019.
A more moderate increase compared to 2022, "which has truly been a year of significant investment in tourism in the Canary Islands," as Castilla emphasized. For the 2023 summer season , a 2,6% increase is projected compared to 2022, representing approximately 300.000 additional beds.
However, the councilor described this data as very positive because it must be taken into account that last year ended with the consolidated recovery of tourism in the islands, which received 96% of the visitors in 2019, some 14,6 million in total.
“In any case, we don’t measure success solely by counting tourists,” the councilor stated, “as we have many other figures that support the sector’s strong performance, such as the increase in tourism revenue, which could reach around €19.000 billion by the end of the year, € 2.000 billion more than in 2019, thanks to the increased spending by these visitors in the islands.” Even taking into account the inflation rate for the entire European Union, which is currently around 10,5%, this would represent a real growth in tourism revenue in the Canary Islands of 16,5% compared to the pre-pandemic year.
Castilla explained that, in addition, Canary Islands Tourism made significant progress in one of its main objectives: market diversification . In this regard, he highlighted the positive trend in the arrival of visitors from Italy (132%), France (128%), Denmark (118%), and the Netherlands (113%).
The British market, despite starting the year with strict COVID-19 restrictions, also recovered, and by November the Canary Islands had already recovered 99% of these tourists. The German market, however, experienced a more negative trend, although it still recovered 84%. Similarly, the number of Nordic tourists declined, recovering to 75%, as they continue to be significantly affected by connectivity issues resulting from the slowdown in Norwegian's expansion, although the airline is gradually resuming some of the routes it previously operated.
The accommodation sector also posted impressive figures, achieving returns not seen for many years, with real growth exceeding 15%, according to ISTAC data. “Furthermore, we can offer positive employment figures thanks to the strong performance of tourism, as in November the number of workers registered in activities characteristic of this sector was 2,4% higher than in the same month of 2019, and the number of unemployed fell by 24%,” Castilla explained.
The islands' economic engine is performing well and is expected to continue in 2023. "Although it's true that we've been fearing a slowdown and decline in travel for some time, we're seeing that the data is pointing in the opposite direction. How long will this last? It's difficult to say," acknowledged the councilor, who added that Turismo de Canarias will continue working on the constant improvement of the tourism model and maintaining the positive figures at trade fairs like Fitur, always in close collaboration with the private sector.
“We will be attending Ifema accompanied by many more companies and professionals than in 2022, as this time there will be 325 businesses with us in Madrid, compared to 267 in the last edition, as well as 770 accredited industry agents , more than one hundred more than last year, when there were 660,” explained Castilla, who again emphasized the striking design and great visual impact of the Canary Islands stand, with which, once again, “we are making clear our firm commitment to climate neutrality, the sustainability of the destination and the transformation strategy towards a greener and more ecological tourism model.”
Lower carbon footprint
Regarding the sustainability of the stand, the managing director of Canary Islands Tourism, José Juan Lorenzo, explained that the carbon footprint generated by its assembly, use, and dismantling has been reduced by up to 59%, from 18,75 tons of CO2 last year to 7,72 tons this year. “This considerable decrease is due to the fact that we transported one and a half fewer trailers to Madrid thanks to the more modular, stackable, and less bulky materials. Furthermore, the number of workers responsible for its setup is eight fewer than last year, so we also reduced their transportation and accommodation costs. In addition, we directly contracted services in Madrid such as securing and anchoring the elements and cleaning,” Lorenzo explained.
The overall carbon footprint of the Canary Islands' presence at Fitur this year will be 78,95 tons of CO2, compared to 83,87 tons last year, meaning it has decreased by almost five tons (6% less), despite the fact that this year's measurement has specified the number of people traveling to Madrid, which has increased the number.
On this occasion, the carbon footprint of the staff of the public company Gestión del Medio Rural de Canarias (GMR), responsible for tastings and tastings of Canarian products, as well as the people who participate in recreational activities, has also been measured. of the weekend, intended for the general public.
“Without a doubt, the measurement experience has been extremely satisfying because we have learned and greatly improved our sustainability, increasing our accuracy and establishing a more consolidated dynamic,” explained Lorenzo, who emphasized the good work done since “even incorporating the CO2 emissions caused by 114 more members of the delegation than last year, we achieved a considerable reduction thanks to the improvements incorporated in the stand.”
As the managing director explained, the intention is to continue with the actions to reduce emissions with a greater reuse of materials, which is expected to be close to 75% and will reach 100% of the graphic elements, without detriment to the final quality of the stand.
Innovative and visual stand
The stand, co-financed with ERDF funds, presents at Fitur a completely new design that it already debuted at the last World Travel Market (WTM) and is characterized by deploying a significant communication potential, high quality of design and an innovative approach, in addition to having several visual appeals to generate notoriety.
The main attraction is the 16 large , visually striking aerial cubes , which will function as enormous showcases of the Canary Islands' tourism offerings and where images will be projected.
Infographic of the Canary Islands stand.
audiovisuals of the eight islands, as well as the five priority segments: sun and beach, including families, active tourism, nature, culture and heritage and LGTBI, in line with the brand's communication strategy.
The stand, located in an area of 1.425 m2, also features four hanging displays with gardens inspired by the Canary Islands and native flora, which were previously used at WTM and will be used again at ITB Berlin. In addition, a high-resolution LED archway leads into the main area and, together with 18 large-format projection screens—twice as many as last year—creates a high-impact visual effect designed to capture visitors' attention. The installation of electronic equipment and lighting uses LED technology, which provides greater brightness with lower power consumption.
Also noteworthy is the prime location of the private meeting tables, close to the corridors, easily accessible, and highly visible, as well as the numerous institutional offices and the spacious meeting area for businesses. Once again, there is a separate workspace for national media outlets, and, as a new feature, a television studio for live broadcasts of news and entertainment programs.
Promotional innovation is once again evident at Fitur, with the prominent placement of digital information points, which “represent a considerable step forward in achieving a complete and up-to-date digital record of all our tourism resources,” explained Lorenzo. Furthermore, Turismo de Canarias will once again be showcasing its app at Ifema, replacing paper brochures and allowing users a more personalized and individualized experience of the destination. This app features improved functionality and more content than at previous trade fairs.
In addition, the traditional participatory and dynamic activities will be held, such as the juice bar with typical Canarian fruits, the tasting area for local products and wine tastings from the islands by the public company GMR and the experiential cube equipped with 3D virtual reality glasses to enjoy an immersive view of the destination.
