11/02/12, 01:35:34 EST

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Travel Industry Snubs Tenerife Hospitality

typicallyspanish.com

Tenerife’s tourism industry has had to cancel a lavish three-day hospitality event for British travel agents after the 1,300 delegates attending this month’s ABTA Travel Convention showed almost no interest in signing up for it.

The Tenerife Tourism Corporation had coordinated a comprehensive programme prior to the Convention, including complimentary accommodation at some of the most prestigious hotels in the Canary Islands.

Britain’s travel agents and their partners had been offered a completely free four-night stay at top hotels, including the 5 star Botanico and others such as the Florida, Puerto Palace and Sol.

A packed three day programme, from 24-26 November, included the chance to go paragliding, ride in antique carriages and visit many leading attractions in the Puerto de la Cruz and Orotavo Valley areas. Meals, transport, accommodation and entertainment were all being provided at no cost to the participants.

But with high expectations that up to 150 of the delegates would sign up for the pre-Convention trips, the plug has been pulled after just seven people expressed an interest.

Now the agents who expressed an interest in the programme have been told that they can still have the free accommodation, but there will now be a solitary day trip through the Mount Teide Park on Tuesday November 27.

Christopher Kiessling, whose family run two of Tenerife’s top attractions, Loro Parque and Siam Park, says he’s very disappointed by what’s happened. But, he says, the situation reflects the extent of the work that needs to be done to promote the north of Tenerife:

“The programme that was offered was the most interesting and complete one that could possibly be put together. But the British tourist industry, the very people who were responsible for building up tourism in the north of Tenerife, is finding the product increasingly hard to sell. The concentration of flights to the south of Tenerife, our distance from the airport and the waiting time at UK airports prior to flying means that a British holidaymaker is spending a whole day getting here.”

“We need to work more on promoting the image of the north of Tenerife and improving its accessibility to the British market.”

ABTA’s Sean Tipton says that the lack of numbers is down to pressure of work:

“Our members are already giving up three days of their busy schedules to attend the Convention. It’s not a lack of interest, just a lack of time.”

The ABTA Convention takes place at the Magma Congress Centre in Tenerife South from 27-30 November.

 Printable Version  | published Nov 26, 2007