Traditionally a top-selling winter destination for the UK, the Canary Islands have so far performed disappointingly for the 1999/2000 season.
The Christmas and millennium period has not attracted the expected number of bookings according to some operators, although there are some exceptions.
However, few operators say that winter bookings were down as much as 21% in September, compared to the same month last year, according to the findings of market research company A C Nielsen.
JMC senior product manager Myles Hazebroek said: “People have shied away for this period, which is when families tend to go. We’re hoping it’s just a one-year blip because of the millennium.”
Another possible contributory factor, according to Cosmos product manager winter sun Gill Standeven, is that Canaries hoteliers have substantially increased winter rates, resulting in higher package prices.
In an attempt to combat this, she said Cosmos has produced a third-edition Winter Price Beaters brochure with some “aggressive pricing” for the Canaries. For example, in Winter Sun ’99, a week at the Hotel Jardin Isla Bonita, Playa de las Americas, in Tenerife, costs £419 per person all-inclusive from December 12-18.
The same week in its latest Price Beaters brochure is £299.
Other operators, however, including Unijet and Airtours, claim their Canaries sales for the millennium period are high because of strong early-booking activity. Indeed, Unijet claims it has sold out for the millennium period.
But apart from the traditionally busy Easter period, the rest of the winter season is seeing fluctuating levels of sales for the islands.
JMC has launched a dedicated Essentials winter 1999/2000 budget brochure for the first time which is selling well across the Canary Islands.
The operator highlighted strong sales in February and April and added that Fuerteventura was a particularly popular destination.
With the winter market to the Canaries becoming increasingly family orientated, Airtours has introduced branded children’s clubs providing dedicated entertainment this winter.
Sales marketing and development director Ed Sims said: “More people are taking their children out of school or away for half-term in February and we are offering quality family breaks with children’s clubs and offers of free child places.”
Airtours features five properties on four islands, which offer children’s clubs with a range of activities for two age groups -Êfrom three-five-year-olds and six-10-year-olds.
He added that many Canaries clients are also trading up on their selection of accommodation and spending more on the overall package.
To meet this demand, Airtours has added the four-star Suwing resort in Playa del Ingles, Gran Canaria, to the programme. The lead-in price is £309 for seven nights’ self-catering, departing from Gatwick in January.
Thomson has introduced its first winter cruise to the islands for the forthcoming season under the name of Kasbah to the Canaries.
The seven-night flycruise, available from this month through to April, begins in Tenerife and visits Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, then sails to Morocco and Madeira. It is priced from £489.
An extra seven nights in Tenerife can be added to the flycruise staying at the three-star Hotel Florida, Puerto de la Cruz. This package leads in at £665 from December 10.
However, despite lower winter booking figures, operators believe sales will pick up soon.
Cosmos’ Gill Standeven said: “The Canary Islands are not going to pale into insignificance. Sunshine is guaranteed and they’re just a relatively short flight away. We’re confident that by the end of the season bookings will have levelled out.”