Tenerife is prioritising attracting “quality” tourists who want to learn more about its culture and heritage over quantity of visitors, according to its head of tourism.
David Perez, chief executive of Tenerife Tourism, told Travel Weekly at World Travel Market (WTM) that the island has almost returned to 2019 visitor levels this year, lagging just 3% behind.
However, while he has been encouraged by this post-pandemic bounce-back, he said the destination is paying closer attention to the type of person visiting the destination, rather than the number passing its passing its borders.
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“We are only 3% behind 2019 visitor numbers but we are not interested in more tourists, we are interested in quality tourists,” he said.
“We want visitors interested in our culture, our heritage, our sports and our gastronomy, not people solely coming here for our beaches. We want people who want to discover the real Tenerife.”
Perez added that the various resorts the island is home to play an “important role” in driving revenue, but that there is more to the destination many might be less aware of – and it is that market he is hoping to tap into.
“We have a really amazing offering when it comes to our resorts but our authenticity is the key to inspiring new profiles to come to Tenerife,” he said.
“That’s why we have changed our marketing plan and created a new strategy based on this authenticity, as well as the experiences you can enjoy in Tenerife beyond the beaches, to attract more quality visitors.”
Perez said the tourism board has adopted several digital marketing techniques to entice a specific type of “curious” traveller, but is also calling on the trade to help it achieve its goal.
“Of course, the travel trade is very important to us in addition to direct marketing,” he added.
“Our relationship with the trade is fantastic; they are real partners to us and we are working with them closely to enable us to reach the kind of tourists we want.”
Tenerife is not just concerned about the profile of tourists keen to visit, but also on its sustainable practices – demonstrated by the fact it received certification as a Biosphere Destination in 2021.
Perez stressed sustainability is “absolutely key” to the island.
“The new profiles we are attracting to Tenerife are very interested and passionate about sustainability, and so are we,” he said.
“We are working hard to provide clean energy to all of our hotels and 48% of our territory is under special protection.
“But sustainability is not just about our impact on the environment; it’s also about accessibility and inclusive tourism, which are also very important for us, as well as safety.”
Perez believes Tenerife is well placed to withstand the various social and geopolitical crises travel faces, as “people trust the Canary Island when things are not going so good in other places”.