Canary Islands participate in World Travel Market tourism fair in London to attract more winter visitors
Turismo de Canarias launches a campaign in 14 markets to attract the 'Winter Escapists', European citizens who want to escape the routine and the cold, while 7 million airplane seats connect the archipelago to various cities in Europe.
Tourism of the Canary Islands will attend the World Travel Market (WTM) tourism fair with the aim of ensuring that the British market knows about the archipelago's new promotional campaign. The Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, offered details about the participation of the Canary Islands in the most important tourism fair in the world, as well as the international campaign that will be launched in 14 European markets to promote winter sales.
At the press conference, Castilla was accompanied by the managing director of Tourism for the Canary Islands, José Juan Lorenzo, and by the director of Communication Projects for Final Clients and Professionals, Elena González.
The 43rd edition of the World Travel Market will be held from November 7 to 9 in London, with a forecast of 5,000 exhibitors, 3,000 journalists and an attendance of 50,000 people. The Canary Islands will be represented by more than 250 professionals belonging to 150 companies and institutions, 26 of which will have individualized space within the stand, with the aim of holding meetings with tour operators, travel agencies, airlines and representatives of British industry.
“We went to the most important tourism fair in the world immersed in a paradox, that of the recovery of the sector in the midst of a complex global socioeconomic context, with pessimism installed in the population, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development”, explained the counselor during the presentation. A pessimism based on rising inflation, the energy crisis and the feeling that there is always a new obstacle that slows down the well-being and happiness of citizens, whether it is Covid or war.
Tourism from the United Kingdom, which has always been the main source market for the islands, suffered a significant setback during the pandemic due to the restrictions imposed by the British Government and those derived from 'Brexit', which led it to go down to third place, being surpassed by the peninsula and Germany, which came to occupy first and second place, respectively.
However, “there was a suppressed desire to travel to the Canary Islands that materialized as soon as the restrictions were lifted. The British have always had the archipelago as a preferred destination and this year they have chosen us again”, highlighted Castilla. In fact, in the January-August period -the last month for which Frontur data is available-, "95% of the volume of tourists had already been recovered compared to 2019, which means that the British are again at the frontline as the main issuing market for tourism in the Canary Islands, with a share of over 35%, compared to just over 15% represented by the German market”, according to the minister.
The Canary Islands will have an innovative stand at WTM
The Canary Islands will attend the WTM with a 770 square meter pavilion, with a striking design and which this year will stand out for its 16 large aerial cubes with a strong visual impact, which will function as enormous showcases of the Canarian tourist offer and where audiovisual images of the eight islands. In addition, "our stand will once again make clear our firm commitment to reducing the carbon footprint, climate neutrality, the sustainability of the destination and the transformation strategy towards a greener and more ecological tourism model," explained Castilla.
