Tenerife advances in the search for new tourist markets. The Tenerife delegation that attended the connectivity forum World Routes 2023which took place on the 15th, 16th and 17th in Istanbul (Turkey) confirmed that airlines from the United States (USA), Canada and Central Europe “are working on the possibility of launch new routes with the Island».
The vice president and advisor of Tourism of the Cabildo, Lope AfonsoMaintains that “Connectivity is a fundamental pillar in destination management and, therefore, we continue to look for any possibility of improving our routes and connections. The purpose of this line of action is to “requalify the destination and enrich the range of markets with which Tenerife has been working with a high level of satisfaction.”
Lope Afonso maintains that in the work being carried out “we continue to focus on improving connectivity with strategic markets. We talk about the important bet that is being made since Tenerife Tourism with the North American market, without also disdaining the possibility of improving with other potential markets such as Canada and Central Europe, among others”.
Dimple Melwani, CEO of Tourism of Tenerife, led the representation of the Island in World Routes 2023. The person responsible for the management of this public company dependent on the Cabildo is convinced that “the destination is in the focus of practically all airlines we have met with. From Melwani’s perspective, “in the case of the Middle East, this interest is also notable, although to materialize in possible routes it is necessary to wait for the airlines to receive new aircraft throughout the year 2024, and from then on, evaluate that possibility of connecting with Tenerife.
As for North America, in both the US and Canada the growing attraction for the Island is evident in the statistics. The data on travelers staying in the hotel and non-hotel establishments of Tenerife corresponding to these nationalities reflects that, during the first six months of the current year, 22,174 Americans were registered, which is equivalent to 29.5% more than those received in the same period last year. As for Canadian visitors, the figure determines that there was a 47.1% increase compared to the previous year, with 3,620 Canadians staying in Tenerife from January to August.
World Routes 2023, the event par excellence on global air connectivity, brings together officials from airlines, airports, destinations and agents in the aviation sector interested in the future of air connectivity. Tenerife’s presence in Routes made it possible to share exclusive information about the sector and its current situation with industry route planners and developers, both to attract new connectivity to the destination and to strengthen existing alliances with Tenerife.
Thus, during the meeting, The Island held meetings with Lot Polish, Saudia Airways, Emirates Airlines, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Air Baltic, Sky Up, ITA Airways, Jet Blue Airways or Binteramong other.
Better than in 2019
The air reservation figures for the winter season confirm that The Canarian tourism sector has not only recovered after the pandemic, but is already in a better situation than before covid. In fact, this winter the airlines plan to see a 24.1% increase in seats in the Archipelago compared to 2019. In global figures, there are 29,248,479 scheduled airline seats for the period from the end of the current month. until March 2024. Which in the Islands is the high tourist season.
Currently, the flight between Tenerife South Airport and New York, operated by the United Airlines company, is operational between June 8 and September 26. North American companies see the Archipelago as a destination with guaranteed success, because every year more Americans visit the Islands, most of them through stopovers. North American visitors staying in regulated establishments Canary Islands From January to August 2023 there were 36,913, 26% more than in the same period of 2022 according to Istac. Of those travelers, only 6,780 used the flight straight from New York to Tenerife, while the majority arrived by stopping in Madrid or Lisbon.