The island starts at the fair with an appreciable growth of 8.7% of German tourism registered in January, the largest in the Canary Islands
With a 12.1% increase, compared to 0.3% increase in the whole of the archipelago, Lanzarote was placed last January at the head of all the islands in relation to the percentage increase in the arrival of tourists to the Canary Islands . In fact, only Tenerife registered an increase of 2% in terms of tourist influx in the first month of the year, while Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and La Palma, suffered decreases of 8.1%, 1.5% and 26.8% , respectively.
With this noteworthy fact, which also adds the outstanding leadership of the island compared to the rest of the archipelago in terms of the growth of the arrival of tourists in January from Germany, with an increase of 8.7%, started Wednesday the intense work agenda of the Foreign Promotion Society of Lanzarote (SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote) at the ITB in Berlin (Internationale Tourismusbörse 2019), one of the most important tourism fairs in the world, to which the Lanzarote delegation, headed by the counselor Insular Tourist Promotion, Ángel Vázquez (PP), assists with an important novelty, aligned with the positioning of the island as a sustainable and intelligent destination.
For the first time in an event of this magnitude, the insular promotion entity, presents its offer, both as a destination and by products, digitally through three tablets, dispensing individualized promotional brochures in paper format. A “relevant measure” according to Vázquez, “in accordance with the process undertaken for innovation and digitalization of the entire Tourism Tourism promotion strategy”.
Although “cautious” for “the complex situation that presents the European tourist landscape, before the irruption with very aggressive prices of other competing destinations, the uncertainty of brexit and the aerial situation after the bankruptcy of the company Germania”, the Tourist Promotion counselor it indicates that these data of increase of tourist affluence “although it is necessary to contextualize them to a month in concrete, and will be necessary to wait to see the tendency of the behavior of the markets towards the island, are an indicative of which Lanzarote continues being a ripe destiny and sure, maintaining its leadership and strength compared to the rest of the archipelago “.
Vázquez affirms in this sense that “we must continue with the success of our promotion strategy based on the diversification of markets, the expansion of the offer of experiences through the different product clubs, and, in particular with the German market, in continue to strengthen ties with the main German tour operators, thus reinforcing the positioning of the island in the German market compared to other destinations. “The German Fair in this sense” will also serve to test to what extent other air operators can absorb the places that have left Germania. “
Important co-marketing agreements
In this line, the delegation of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote present at the ITB, headed by its CEO, Héctor Fernández, signed today for the first time a co-marketing agreement with Eurowings, through which this low cost subsidiary of Lufthansa, and currently one of the most dynamic German airlines, “will increase its already important offer, especially in winter, flights to the island.” Also SPEL Turismo Lanzarote reissued today, “in its permanent commitment to the qualification of the destination”, the agreement signed with TUI Germany, German tour operator par excellence, “which will increase its high-end contracting on the island after the improvement in the accommodation plant of Lanzarote, with the opening of new 5 star hotel establishments, this is a significant agreement,
Other important meetings held throughout the day by the Lanzarote delegation were those carried out with the tour operators TUI Polonia, Thomas Cook and Schaunsisland Reisen; the receptive agent specialized in Eastern markets, W2M; the tourist group Alltours; the online operator Holiday Check; the travel agency RTK mein Reisebüro; and the airline Germania Switzerland.
Visit to the lanzaroteño stand
On the other hand, this morning also took place the traditional visit of the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the regional government, Isaac Castellano, to the stand of Lanzarote, where he was received by the island councilor of Tourism Promotion, Ángel Vázquez, accompanied by the counselor delegate of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote, Héctor Fernández. At the stand, members of the team of the insular entity of promotion and the Centers of Art, Culture and Tourism of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, as well as other public representatives were present, among them, the councilors of Tourism of the Municipalities of Tías and Yaiza , Amado Vizcaíno and Olga Caraballo, as well as representatives of the island tourism sector.
Today’s Wednesday will conclude with the assistance of SPEL-Turismo Lanzarote to the “Night of Spain”, where the awards ceremony will be held to tour operators and journalists from the German tourism sector at the Hotel Meliá Berlin. Previously, the Insular Promotion Agency was also present on Tuesday at a press workshop organized by the International Media Marketplace (IMM) held at The Ritz-Carlton in Berlin as a parallel act to the development of the ITB. The work agenda of the Lanzarote delegation in this important Fair will continue this Thursday with more than a dozen meetings with important tour operators, airlines and OTAs (online travel agencies) in Germany.
Tourist influx in January
According to data of Promotur-Frontur corresponding to last January, in total they visited Lanzarote that month 216.392 tourists, 23.323 more than in the same month of last year. By origin, the increase recorded in the arrival of Italian tourists (31.7%), peninsular (26.7%), British (22.7%) and French (17.2%) stands out.
