The Minister of Tourism of Gran Canaria reviews the main developments and conclusions of the second day of the World Travel Market in London
The tourist destination of Gran Canaria was the protagonist on the second day of the World Travel Market, which has been held in London since Monday. The Minister of Tourism Carlos Álamo, leading the team of the autonomous body of the Cabildo, held numerous meetings with the main tour operators, airlines and tourist agents in the United Kingdom to consolidate not only the interest of the British market in returning to the Island, but also an increase of the average expenditure that has occurred as a consequence of the improvement of the tourist infrastructure and the enhancement of potentialities such as gastronomy, historical and cultural heritage, in addition to a greater interest in getting to know the summit and the mid-range municipalities.
The Minister of Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, explained that “we have arrived at this London event with part of the work already advanced and we have been able to consolidate a series of agreements and agreements with companies such as RyanAir, Jet2, EasyJet or Wizzair, which range to allow us to have an increase in connectivity with the United Kingdom this winter season, which will be especially notable starting in January with a 12% increase in air seats available for the British customer compared to the months prior to the pandemic.” Currently the increase is 6% and we are directly connected to 19 British airports, seven more than in 2019. Plazas are added with cities such as Liverpool, Newcastle, Bristol, Glasgow, Luton and Belfast.
“These developments are important and the current tourist arrival data make us optimistic about the winter season,” said the counselor despite the fact that the British market is still subject to the advance of Covid. "The data for September show that the average spending of tourists in Gran Canaria increased by 23,61% compared to the same month in 2019. This means that not only are they eager to return to Gran Canaria, but they also have greater spending possibilities and consider it appropriate to spend it on our products. These are good data, which they do not have on other islands and it is especially important because we are in a process of economic recovery and we must consolidate this factor,” he said.
Álamo explained that this increase in spending is due, in an important part, to incorporating new tourist products, which have more to do with natural and cultural heritage. "It is important for the client to know our municipalities, our history, culture and our gastronomy, to visit the midlands and the summit and in this way we consider that the wealth left by tourism, with this increase in spending, can be distributed so that they also "It helps the primary sector and has a positive impact on the 21 municipalities of the Island. In short, if tourist spending increases, the economic possibilities of the Gran Canarian grow."
The recovery of the sector is being gradual and constant in Gran Canaria, in such a way that each new month is better than the previous one, and "in relation to the British customer we have data that points to the months of January and February as those with the highest arrival of tourists from the United Kingdom to Gran Canaria. It is true that they are increasingly demanding and now the issue of destination security is especially valued. And in this we are a leading destination, with successful protocols from the first moment.”
Furthermore, according to the counselor, the commitment to sustainability appears intensely among the reasons of interest of the tourist client. "Tourists are concerned about knowing if Gran Canaria is working to reduce the carbon footprint and avoid climate change, not only because of respect for the natural heritage. In this sense, I have to say that we have a good grade. Gran Canaria, like the Canary Islands As a whole, it has a part of the work done. We have been working in this line for some time with projects that aim to distinguish us as an island and a destination committed to sustainability. This will be key, especially when the summer season arrives and competitiveness with others increases. European destinations.
Finally, Álamo highlighted that the tourist who visits Gran Canaria now will find a prepared and improved destination. “All its tourist potential remains intact after the pandemic and I would say that they are improved. Because added to the classic attributes, the demand for health security is one of the destinations that has had the least impact of covid in the global calculation of this pandemic period. We have protocols that have proven solvent and effective, assumed by the entire sector that ensure that any incident will be attended to and stopped immediately. Furthermore, I would like to highlight and thank the efforts of our companies and the private sector, because they have taken risks to improve the accommodation facility on the Island in an important way. Our tourist infrastructure, both private and public, renovated and modernized. "The client will find an improved destination that welcomes them with open arms and is closer to that tourist excellence that we all pursue and that must undoubtedly be our goal."