Canary Islands leads the "energy tourism" of long stay, which increases up to 60%.

Expectations for the winter are better for vacation homes, which are already around 70% occupancy, than for hotels, according to Turismo de Canarias

EFE

 - 

EFE

November 9 2022 (15:33 WET)
A couple of tourists strolling through the Charco de San Ginés
A couple of tourists strolling through the Charco de San Ginés

Canary Islands is positioned as the vanguard of the so-called "energy" tourism, starring residents of colder countries who choose Spain also to save on increasingly high heating costs, a trend confirmed for example by British tour operators and which increases at rates of up to 60%.

Canary Islands is a traditional destination for Europeans who want to spend their winters in warmer places and in fact autumn-winter is their high season, but now foreign tourists have another reason just as or more powerful to stay for long periods, because this way they save on heating in their countries.

The archipelago launched the "Winter Escapists" campaign in 14 countries aimed precisely at those looking to escape the cold and the very expensive energy bill.

The campaign adds to another one aimed at Europeans over 55 years of age to attract them for more than 50 days, a very attractive market segment because they leave an average of over 3,100 euros per stay. Also added are those aimed at attracting digital nomads, who already increased long stays during the pandemic.

Expectations at this point are better for the vacation home sector than for hotels and also for the airline sector because the islands have scheduled seven million seats for the winter, 30% more than in 2019 (before the pandemic), according to data from the Canary Islands Ministry of Tourism.

The manager of the Canary Islands Association of Vacation Rentals (ASCAV), Javier Martín, explains that, despite the uncertainty, the occupancy level for this last quarter is already around 70% and that the British opt mainly for apartments while Germans and Scandinavians prefer more luxurious villas. Wifi is imperative, even in the most remote environments.

 

The world's largest operator expects more long-term bookings

The largest tour operator in Germany and the world, TUI, expects that there will be "a greater demand for long-term vacations, driven by the new possibilities of teleworking and flexible models", according to its president, Stefan Baumert.

The British tour operator Jet2holidays, which offers packages in Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, says that "there is no doubt" that more people are booking long-term stays to Spanish and southern European destinations, of about 15 days, which even extend up to 60 days and more.

In Germany (second largest source of tourists to Spain), the Canary Islands are the most requested destination for the winter of 2022-2023, according to the German Travel Federation (DRV), although the figures are 33% below those of the 2018-2019 campaign, before the pandemic.

 

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