TENERIFE Tourism was meeting ABTA chiefs this week at World Travel Market to persuade them to hold next year’s convention in the new Magma conference hall in Costa Adeje.
The annual travel convention is already scheduled to be in Tenerife, 10 years after it was last held on the island, but no venue has been decided.
The island’s tourism chiefs are keen for it to be in Magma, which opened 12 months ago and has capacity for 4,000 people.
Tenerife Tourism director international promotions Antje Groch said: “A lot of Tenerife’s five-star hotels are in Costa Adeje and that is the image we want to portray, along with its gastronomy.”
She added: “Magma is a state-of-the-art centre and there are 30,000 beds within 15 minutes so there is plenty of capacity.”
Groch said the tourist board is also meeting tour operators this week, to encourage them to bring agents to the conference. There were a total 2,300 delegates in 1997.
She said: “We are focusing on consumer marketing next year, to target visitors who come independently, so we want operators to help us make the convention a really big event for the trade.”
The tourist board has launched a call centre, staffed by former tour guides, for independent travellers to call if they want to find out about attractions, opening times and what to do on the island.
It is available now in Spanish, but will be launched in English early in 2007.
Meanwhile, a €25 million Thai-inspired theme park is opening in Costa Adeje in April 2007. Called Siam Park, it will have fun rides and restaurants, and a man-made beach around a lagoon with private islands that can be rented.
Groch said: “It is close to Magma so it will make a perfect venue for conference and incentive business to the island.”