SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE Nov. 5 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Tenerife is engaging in the World Travel Market (WTM) in London with a delegation that has conducted productive discussions with airlines, tour operators, and travel agency networks. These meetings have confirmed that the island will continue to enhance its leading position in the competitive British market.
The participation at WTM highlights the island’s dedication to promoting tourism and solidifying its commercial relationships with the United Kingdom, a crucial market for the destination. In the first nine months of 2024, Tenerife received 2,052,007 passengers from British airports, making it the primary destination within the archipelago. This accounts for 44.1% of all visitors arriving in the Canary Islands during that timeframe.
The Vice President and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso, emphasises that “Tenerife’s presence at a new edition of the WTM is of significant importance, particularly in a market like the British, which is the foremost source of tourists choosing the island for their holidays, with 22 air connections linking Tenerife and the United Kingdom this year”.
In this context, Afonso notes that “diversifying the tourism product is essential for enhancing the quality of the island’s offerings for this market. Focusing on both the destination and the product is an important component of Tenerife’s strategy”.
Furthermore, the Vice President of the Cabildo underscores their ongoing efforts to bolster Tenerife’s presence in the British market, notably in those segments offering greater value, which enhances competitiveness and supports the profitability of local businesses, in addition to improving its position as “a reference sustainable destination”.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, Dimple Melwani, points out that “the WTM presents a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into the current market landscape and forecasts for 2025, as well as to communicate our targeted strategy in the primary issuing market to the British market”.
According to the CEO, “this strategy features a distinct tourism offering in which we collaborate closely with both the public and private sectors of the island, aiming to showcase our diverse tourism products, which range from nature and adventure tourism to gastronomy and major cultural and sporting events, among others”.
In her view, “this strategy aims to reinforce traditional markets and focus on the segments that appreciate Tenerife for its authenticity, targeting a premium segment, which results in higher spending and increased profitability for the destination.”
Throughout the event days, Tenerife is undertaking close to fifty meetings with airlines, agencies, and tour operators, including major industry names such as Easyjet, Jet2, British Airways, Expedia, Destinia, TUI, and PGA Tours.
These meetings are crucial for strengthening business relationships and discovering new collaboration opportunities that benefit both Tenerife and its partners.
Moreover, the Tenerife delegation is leveraging the fair to conduct various interviews with media outlets that specialise in tourism, such as Travel Bulletin, Travel Gossip, and Travel Trade Gazette.
These interviews help in publicising the news and strategies of Tenerife as a tourist destination, showcasing its unique and sustainable offerings, along with its natural, cultural, and culinary advantages.
THE ATTRACTIVE FEATURES OF TENERIFE IN THE BANKING HALL
As a prelude to the fair, the island showcased its attractions to over 80 British tour operators, travel agents, and tourism journalists, particularly highlighting its ‘premium’ offerings, in the iconic Banking Hall building located in central London.
During the event, attended by the Vice President and Tourism Councillor of the Cabildo, Lope Afonso, and the CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, Dimple Melwani, as well as the Mayor of Puerto de la Cruz, Leopoldo Afonso, alongside representatives from the Gran Hotel Taoro, Gustavo Escobar and Rosy Gotib, the island’s wines were prominently featured, along with some new projects that will enhance the catalogue of establishments on the island, such as the Gran Hotel Taoro in Puerto de la Cruz, part of the first-class offerings that the destination has been developing for some time.
This establishment is slated to open to the public in the coming months following a thorough renovation.
The British market remains the leading source of holidaymakers who select Tenerife.
According to statistics from the Canary Islands Statistics Institute (ISTAC), analysed by the Tourism Research Department of Tenerife, the number of British tourists staying in tourist facilities on the island (hotels and apartments) reached 1,561,349 in the first nine months of 2024, indicating an 8.5% increase compared to the same period the previous year.
During that same timeframe, the count of passengers flying in from British airports reached 2,052,007, reflecting a 9.1% increase.
This positions Tenerife as the leading destination in the archipelago, with 44.1% of all visitors who arrived in the Canary Islands during that period. Throughout this year, 22 air connections operate between the island and the United Kingdom, serviced by six different airline groups.
