Tenerife is making a bigger push to attract visitors who spend more while they’re here, with Turismo de Tenerife targeting British and European travellers interested in luxury accommodation, golf, gastronomy and more specialist experiences.
More than 30 international travel agents recently spent six days on the island as part of a familiarisation programme designed to show them a different side of Tenerife.
The programme ran from 22 to 27 September and brought together travel professionals from the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Czech Republic and mainland Spain.
Looking beyond the traditional beach holiday
There was nothing particularly complicated about the idea.
Show travel agents what Tenerife has to offer beyond the usual pool, beach and all-inclusive package, then hope they go home and sell it to their customers.
Participants visited a selection of hotels and tourism attractions, while also experiencing activities connected with gastronomy, nature, culture and golf.
They also had the opportunity to meet local tourism businesses directly, giving companies on the island a chance to build relationships with agents selling holidays in some of Tenerife’s key European markets.
More value rather than simply more visitors
The programme forms part of Tenerife’s broader tourism strategy, which is increasingly focused on the economic value generated by visitors rather than simply trying to increase visitor numbers.
The UK remains Tenerife’s biggest international tourism market, making British travellers an obvious target for this approach.
Higher-end accommodation, golf holidays, food and wine experiences and specialist activities all offer ways of encouraging visitors to spend more during their stay while also showcasing parts of the island that don’t necessarily feature in the standard holiday brochure.
And let’s be honest, Tenerife has rather more going for it than lying beside a hotel pool for seven days.
The familiarisation trip was organised by Turismo de Tenerife, with businesses from across the island’s tourism sector taking part.