Lanzarote's tourism sector remains optimistic about Easter and expects to reach 80% occupancy, at least on holidays and weekends.
Although consumers are still experiencing some uncertainty when booking due to possible coronavirus infections, the lifting of restrictions at national and European level has boosted bookings to Lanzarote, especially last-minute bookings.
“The occupancy forecast in a survey we did in the middle of the month was 70%, but we hope that in the last 15 days we will reach 80% with last-minute bookings”, says Susana Pérez, president of the Lanzarote Tourist Federation (FTL) and Asolan.
Since the relaxation of measures for the entry of British tourists to the island, the numbers have improved, and until mid-February, travelers from the United Kingdom, and in particular children between 12 and 17 years old, could not enter Spain with an alternative test to the double vaccination, which was not mandatory in this age group. This directly affected the Christmas campaign and the month of January. In addition, they could not enter with the immunization or recovery certificate as an alternative to vaccines.
“We managed to get the central government to understand that England is a very important country for tourism on the island,” says the president of Asolan.
Lanzarote promotes national tourism
Although British, Germans and Scandinavians are usually the most numerous tourists in the islands during Easter, the Spanish themselves will also contribute to reaching the expected percentage thanks to the increase in air seats between the archipelago and the peninsula, as well as the increase in inter-island connections by shipping companies.
“The national market has been responding very well since last summer, so we can say that it is one of the sectors that has recovered,” explains Susana Pérez. “However, Spaniards only account for 20 or 25% of the total number of tourists that Lanzarote receives.”
Specifically, Lanzarote will have 57,511 national air seats in April, which is 27.5% more compared to the pre-pandemic era. For its part, shipping companies will increase their routes on the route between Playa Blanca and Corralejo with 296 trips, 4.85% more.
It should be remembered that the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands also encouraged these connections with its “Blessed Easter” campaign, which it launched last March so that national tourists would choose the archipelago for their vacations, under the premises of sun and beach.
The consequences of the war boost last-minute bookings
The war between Russia and Ukraine has left a scenario of uncertainty worldwide, directly impacting the markets, with increases in the CPI, electricity and even the shopping basket. This has caused many people not to book their trips in advance and opt for the last minute.
“The impact of the war has been direct on the electricity bill and other expenses, so many Spaniards wait until the last minute to see if the family economy allows them to travel”, says the president of FTL. “But, for the moment, it is one of the markets that is recovering the most compared to pre-pandemic data,” she adds.
Another of the parties affected by inflation has been tour operators and intermediary companies, since they have been in the position of having to comply with contracts signed last year, when prices were much lower, directly impacting on the profit margin.
“The situation is difficult,” says Susana Pérez. “It depends on the companies whether they choose to reduce the profit margin or maintain prices in the short term, it is something they are seeing on a day-to-day basis, due to the constant changes.”
However, these optimistic data could be affected punctually by the stoppages and demonstrations in the hotel and commerce sectors confirmed by Comisiones Obreras (CCOO) for Easter Week in Lanzarote. The union and employers denounce the lack of progress in updating collective agreements and advocate partial or total stoppages in some workplaces.
In any case, the forecasts are optimistic on the part of the employers, even for the summer, although everything will depend on the duration and impact of the invasion of Ukraine, but also on the evolution of the pandemic. ”We hope that these will be the first summer vacations that can be enjoyed in a general way, although it should be noted that May and June will be months of decline,” adds Susana Pérez. “The fewer limitations we have in relation to travel, which have practically all been lifted, the less impact there will be on the consumer's pocket.”
