A little birdie told me...
The Canary Islands have launched a £1 million European promotional campaign to entice more visitors and prove the islands have more to offer than just sun, sea and sand...
The Canary Islands have long been a popular spot for British holidaymakers and second home owners. The British Embassy calculates that nearly four million Britons visit the islands each year, and 60,000 live there.
Much of the income for the Canary Islands comes from tourism, with Brits providing a hefty chunk of that.
Now, as the credit crunch hits the UK hard; hoteliers and restaurant owners on the Canary Islands are concerned that the tourist market may flop, as Brits stay closer to home to conserve cash.
Last year, devastating fires hit the peak tourist season hard, destroying sections of Tenerife and Grand Canaria. This, coupled with the credit crunch, has led the Canary Islands Government to launch a new campaign in a bid to entice more tourists and highlight the myriad of attractions on offer on the archipelago.
Called 'The Three Stadiums Of Happiness,' the £1.26 million campaign was launched as an exhibition was launched at the Emirates Stadium, London, last week and will continue until December 3rd, lasting from 10am to 6pm each day.
The main aim of the campaign is to showcase the Canary Islands as more than just a hot beach destination, by highlighting the tenets of family, wellness, sea and nature.
The Canary Islands are hoping that visitors that hadn't previously considered the islands will be attracted to the nature, wildlife and spas, as well as the ever popular beaches.
The Tourism Vice-Minister of the Canary Islands, Ms Maria del
Carmen Harnandez Bento, said, "The Canaries has always been a popular
destination with British holidaymakers especially given our winter sun and fine
beaches, however, the new exhibition presents an opportunity for the islands
collectively to highlight another side to holidaymakers and for us to present a
range of other activity options too."
The exhibition includes events aimed at specific sectors of the market, such as
‘Wellness for Wellness for Women days on December 1st to December 3rd,
with make-up sessions, facials, massages and beauty advice for women of all
ages.
For those who love cooking, there will also be Gastronomic Days featuring German Blanco, from Amura Restaurant in Lanzarote, and Aaron Espinosa, from La Maceta Restaurant in El Hierro.
As two of the most well known chefs on the islands, Mr Blanco and Mr Espinosa will demonstrate to cook the best dishes from the Canaries on December 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, from 11am until 4pm.
The announcement of the new campaign follows speeches from the Canarian Government at the recent travel industry event ‘World Travel Market,' which underlined the importance of British visitors for the Island's tourism sector.
However, stand-in Regional Vice-President of the Government of the Canary Islands José Manuel Soria, said the Canaries had 'no need to worry' about its principal source of holiday revenue, because the UK authorities had taken solid measures to boost the economy.
"British people have a need to travel," said Mr Soria, who recalled that Britons spend an average of €97 (£82) a day when on holiday in the Canaries.
Tourism Minister Rita Martín said that if British holidaymakers did not exist, 'we would have to invent them,' so crucial is their role to the Canaries' tourist industry.
Picture by Pamela Heywood