SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Aug. 2 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The hotel and non-hotel establishments of Puerto de la Cruz continue the path of tourist recovery and increased their occupancy level per bed from 46% to 66% between January and June of this year, less than 5 points from the end of June of 2019 (70.8%), pre-pandemic reference year, and slightly more than two points above the average of the Canary Islands in this same period, which was 63.8%, and even above the average of Tenerife (65.6%).
This positive evolution marks the path in the Canarian municipality, the cradle of international tourism, according to the data analyzed by the Ashotel Tourism Competitiveness and Sustainability Observatory, which uses data from the Tourist Accommodation Survey of the Canary Institute of Statistics (Istac).
Between May and June of this year, the percentage curve of hotel occupancy is almost 10 points, going from an average of 56.3% in May to 66.05% in June. Among the causes that support this good behavior is not only the general recovery situation that the Canary Islands and Tenerife are experiencing as destinations, after the end of the restrictions due to the pandemic, but also the revitalization of the city, which has opted to maintain, with the pertinent security measures, an attractive offer of leisure and complementary culture.
According to data analyzed by the Ashotel Observatory, Puerto de la Cruz closed June with a total of 59 hotel and non-hotel establishments open, compared to 78 in 2019, that is, a drop of -24.4% which, however, It does not translate into the same magnitude in relation to the places offered, which were 18,373 (-13%) compared to June 2019 (21,131).
Among the reasons for this decrease is the considerable number of establishments that are in the process of being renovated for their next opening, in addition to the purchase that has been taking place of accommodation establishments that will reopen soon, after renovation processes and that only in investment has course this year around 40 million euros in the establishments Silken Saaj Maar, Atlantic Hills, Atlantic El Tope, Los Príncipes, Alua Tenerife and Hotel Taoro, to which Smy Puerto de la Cruz will be added next month.
Regarding overnight stays, the municipality registered 1.95 million overnight stays in the first half of the year, -27% compared to the same period in 2019, but an increase of 547% compared to 2021. Although overnight stays have decreased percentage-wise more than the average of the Canary Islands, the truth is that in relation to the travelers staying (a total of 331,682 in the first semester), the variation compared to 2019 is much less pronounced percentage-wise (-15.6%), which means that the tourist destination par excellence in the north of the island has managed to reactivate its appeal among visitors to Tenerife.
Among the reasons that have influenced the tourist revitalization of the city, the municipality’s commitment to cultural proposals of various kinds stands out, which allow, for example, occupations close to 90% on weekends such as July 22 to 24. , which was the culmination of the Cook Music Fest, a festival that for 17 days offered different concerts and shows for very diverse audiences. This commitment contributes to changing the perception of this destination, which allows with this cultural planning to multiply the experiences of the visitor, eager for this type of activity after two years of the pandemic.
Puerto de la Cruz has followed the strategy of turning the destination into a cultural and creative ecosystem. Examples this year of this cultural program are the Mueca Festival, the already mentioned Cook Music Fest, the Canarias Jazz or, at the end of this month, the Phe Festival or Veranos del Taoro, the latter newly created around indoor theater fresh air. All this energizes the city and also attracts a local public that increases tourist spending.
