I don't know what intelligence alludes to when mentioned in relation to a tourist destination, although I tend to think that the qualification will depend on the experience of each visitor, each tour operator or each professional in the field.
I say that a decided promotional investment in the countries that send tourists will be intelligent; always, of course, that it is practiced on proven market studies, with constant updates of the new demands and tastes of the tourist and subsequent measurements of results.
But? Is it intelligent to bet on low cost airlines loaded to the brim with visitors whose greatest aspiration is to obtain the very legitimate more for less? Fortunately, it seems that the expansion of the runway at the César Manrique airport is a debate that has been put aside, with the permission of the electoral campaign that is coming our way.
In my opinion, the commitment to market the tourist visit with the wrapper of sports practice, for example, to attract a segment of consumers with a high purchasing power who travel with family or in groups, is not lacking in intelligence.
However, it does not seem very reasonable for local corporations to work against it, asking for the restriction of bicycle traffic on island roads or the increase in the permitted traffic speed in some sections.
And, with no intention of offending, I also find the covert attempt to privatize the Islote de la Fermina by the Cabildo to be of the silly kind. The Smart-Island-Lanzarote-Intelligent-Biosphere-Reserve is sold to us as "an integral public-private collaboration platform that will promote local development through the digital transformation of the island and position it as an international example of good practices in the management of customer experience and real-time measurement of the performance of an island territory in terms of sustainability".
First, because of the pretentious and incomprehensible explanation, which only aspires to impress citizens who still confuse verbosity with wisdom. And then, because I don't know if this transmutation of a volcanic island into a commercial hologram is going to bring us happiness, which after all is the most intelligent aspiration of human communities.
Jimena Álvarez
