Canarian Weekly
13-02-2015, 11:50
CANARY Islands’ President Paulino Rivero this week spent three days in Warsaw, where he met representatives of major tour operators and travel agencies.
Poland is seen as an untapped market, and its economy is growing, which leads to more holiday bookings in Spain. And Rivero is keen for the Canary Islands to raise its profile as a tourist destination.
“Poland is destined to become a leading market for us,” he said. “One-third of Poles who visit Spain choose our archipelago as a holiday resort.”
Even better, tour operators in Poland have highlighted the increasing interest in their country for Canarian trips.
Between 2010 and 2014,Rivero said the number of Polish tourists visiting the Canaries doubled from to 200,000. And most had visited Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
Rivero was keen to point out that the Canaries received 12% more Polish visitors last year, compared with 2013. Yet in 2006, just 20,000 tourists holidayed in the archipelago.
Rivero was joined in Warsaw by Ricardo Fernandez de la Puente, regional Deputy Minister of Tourism.
They met with tour operators like TUI Poland, Rainbow Tours and Neckermann Polska and also spent a day with the Spanish Tourist Office in Warsaw.
Rivero said: “There has been a large improvement in the flights between the Canaries and Poland in recent months.
“Until the summer of 2014, charter flights only were available. But from the winter of 2014-2015, Ryanair and Norwegian Air have entered this market by establishing regular routes with Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. This is a step in the right direction.”
With low-cost airlines entering the market, scheduled air capacity for this season is 54% higher than the previous winter. This represents 36,000 additional seats, while there are similar forecasts for the summer season. Encouragingly, 46% of the flights this year will be scheduled.
Rivero outlined plans to strengthen the Canary Islands as a Polish destination, including a campaign from 1st March, which will run until the end of the month.
Adverts for the islands will be broadcast on major Polish television, digital media and media outlets with the slogan which broadly translates to: “Recharge your life.”
Rivero said: “We are the best destination for 365 days a year, and we’re competitive because we have a climate that permits all-year-round holidays. And, of course we also have the infrastructure and services of the highest order.”
Agustín Martínez, Ambassador of Spain in Poland, said: “One-third of tourists to Spain go to the Canary Islands. And they will continue to grow as a preferred destination for Poles because of the high level and professionalism of the Canarian tourist sector.”
Of the Polish tourists visiting the Canary Islands, 90% have package holidays, with more than half going all-inclusive.
In addition, 55% stay at four-star hotels and just 10% sleep in apartments
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/poles-love-canaries/)
Poland is seen as an untapped market, and its economy is growing, which leads to more holiday bookings in Spain. And Rivero is keen for the Canary Islands to raise its profile as a tourist destination.
“Poland is destined to become a leading market for us,” he said. “One-third of Poles who visit Spain choose our archipelago as a holiday resort.”
Even better, tour operators in Poland have highlighted the increasing interest in their country for Canarian trips.
Between 2010 and 2014,Rivero said the number of Polish tourists visiting the Canaries doubled from to 200,000. And most had visited Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
Rivero was keen to point out that the Canaries received 12% more Polish visitors last year, compared with 2013. Yet in 2006, just 20,000 tourists holidayed in the archipelago.
Rivero was joined in Warsaw by Ricardo Fernandez de la Puente, regional Deputy Minister of Tourism.
They met with tour operators like TUI Poland, Rainbow Tours and Neckermann Polska and also spent a day with the Spanish Tourist Office in Warsaw.
Rivero said: “There has been a large improvement in the flights between the Canaries and Poland in recent months.
“Until the summer of 2014, charter flights only were available. But from the winter of 2014-2015, Ryanair and Norwegian Air have entered this market by establishing regular routes with Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. This is a step in the right direction.”
With low-cost airlines entering the market, scheduled air capacity for this season is 54% higher than the previous winter. This represents 36,000 additional seats, while there are similar forecasts for the summer season. Encouragingly, 46% of the flights this year will be scheduled.
Rivero outlined plans to strengthen the Canary Islands as a Polish destination, including a campaign from 1st March, which will run until the end of the month.
Adverts for the islands will be broadcast on major Polish television, digital media and media outlets with the slogan which broadly translates to: “Recharge your life.”
Rivero said: “We are the best destination for 365 days a year, and we’re competitive because we have a climate that permits all-year-round holidays. And, of course we also have the infrastructure and services of the highest order.”
Agustín Martínez, Ambassador of Spain in Poland, said: “One-third of tourists to Spain go to the Canary Islands. And they will continue to grow as a preferred destination for Poles because of the high level and professionalism of the Canarian tourist sector.”
Of the Polish tourists visiting the Canary Islands, 90% have package holidays, with more than half going all-inclusive.
In addition, 55% stay at four-star hotels and just 10% sleep in apartments
More... (http://www.canarianweekly.com/poles-love-canaries/)