All inclusive hotels are grabbing much of the hotel accommodation in Lanzarote. Year after year, this type of tourism has been growing and many tour operators now require these features to meet the demand of visitors.
The Tourist Business Association of Lanzarote (Aetur) is concerned about this increase in all inclusive and estimated that, at present, over 30 percent total hotels offer this service, while in 2009 it was only 25 percent of the total, according to the Cabildo de Lanzarote.
“We talked about a very high percentage of hotels that have the all-inclusive. In specific areas such as Playa Blanca, there are hardly any sites that are not all inclusive” said the president of Aetur, Victoriano Elvira. In recent months there are several establishments that have chosen to include this service – the Occidental Grand Teguise Playa, La Geria and 2 Riu hotels in Puerto de Carmen, among others, offer all-inclusive.
The latest addition to this fad has been the Hotel Beatriz Costa Teguise, however, as Asolan, has decided to offer this service to the growing demand of tourists diverted from Egypt and Tunisia, who wanted a package very similar to what they had purchased to travel to Arab countries.
However, tourism bosses themselves confirm that these establishments are “up,” but, ruled that there was a “spike” of “all inclusive”. Thus, although many hotels have converted months ago, Asolan believes it to be a direct consequence of the new demand of tourists who were to travel to Africa. “In Egypt and Tunisia they offer practically nothing that is not an all-inclusive. Therefore, tour operators have asked the same package for these visitors, “says the president of Asolan, Susana Pérez.
This new trend is detrimental to integrated Aetur members, according to Victoriano Elvira, that does not match Asolan and insists that the growth of all inclusive in the last year has been “obvious.” The big problem with this system, as Elvira says, is that there is no impact on job creation on the island. “Although these hotels are full, profit margins are not important. In many cases, unless they are on top, just covering costs” he says.
One thing remains a concern for both associations, both as Asolan Aetur and low prices are the tourism sector. According to statistics published by the Data Centre of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the average expenditure per tourist is around 1014 euros, which “sounds almost ridiculous,” according Victoriano Elvira. “With the airline, hotel and all, in 2009 a visitor spent 1042 euros, while in 2010 he spent 1014 euros. It does not seem much difference, but the trend is not good, “says the president of Aetur.
