Tenerife unveils agent training platform and webinars to boost trade knowledge

The Tenerife Tourism Corporation is focusing on segmenting the tourism market and highlighting Tenerife’s cultural, natural and gastronomic activities to attract a “better” type of visitor.

 

Agents will play a key role in repositioning Tenerife as a destination, said chief executive Dimple Melwani, with a new agent training platform and webinars set to launch in January.

 

Melwani said: “If we don’t train the travel agencies, they will keep selling us as [just] a beach destination.”

 

“Our strategy in the last three years has been to maintain the UK market, and from January to September we saw growth of 2% compared to last year, but we also want to attract visitors that wish to explore the island, generating income for the local economy.”

 

She added: “We have seen that this strategy has worked. Now, nearly 40% of reservations are bed and breakfast [as opposed to all-inclusive], which means they like to go out and discover places – with stargazing, wine tasting, culture and gastronomy.”

 

Anti-tourism protests in the region earlier this year had sparked sales concerns among agents, but Melwani said the corporation “doesn’t want the demonstrations to make people think we don’t care about the UK”.

 

“That is not the message,” she added. “But we cannot keep growing without taking care of essential services, and balancing tourism with local people.”

 

The British market is key for Tenerife, with 47% of all Canary Islands arrivals from the UK visiting the island.

 

Melwani added: “British visitors also spend higher than average, at around €197 per day, where the average is €175. British visitors also have a good repeat rate, with 9 out of 10 visitors saying they want to repeat.”

 

In a further move to combat overtourism, Tenerife hase recently announced that its “eco-tax”, a €28 fee currently payable by visitors wanting to hike the Masca Valley, will be expanded to Teide National Park from next year.