Tenerife looking to attract 'more affluent' tourists in 2025
Harry KembleTenerife has distanced itself from other Mediterranean destinations that have experienced “the reality” of overtourism in recent years, albeit while admitting it is looking to attract more affluent tourists next year.
Speaking at WTM London, Dimple Melwani, chief executive of the Tenerife Tourism Corporation, revealed tourism numbers have increased from around 15.1 million in 2019 to 16.2 million in 2023.
However, she stressed tourism arrivals are spread out evenly across the year, with no single month accounting for more than 10% of the annual total.
"In the Canary Islands, we are far from the rates of tourist overcrowding of other competing destinations in the Mediterranean area, and much further away from urban destinations who suffer even more from this reality,” she said.
Overtourism has been a hot topic at this year’s WTM London, where Spanish tourism officials have repeatedly been asked about the safety of tourists following anti-tourism protests across southern Europe this year.
When asked about Tenerife’s 2025 tourism strategy, Melwani said the island is focused on “new visitors with a higher level of income” to help boost both Tenerife’s economy and generate more tourism-related employment.
Lanzarote made headlines last year after then-Lanzarote president Dolores Corujo called for the “diversification” of the Canary Islands’ tourism sector, saying she wanted more “upmarket” visitors to come to the region.
“We aim to continue improving and adapting our destination by enhancing the current offerings and tourism products,” Melwani added.
She explained Tenerife wants visitors to view the island as a “destination for outdoor sporting activities, gastronomy and traditions”.
Bookings for the last quarter of 2024 are up by 41% on the previous year, noted Melwani, who revealed air services had grown by nearly 13%.
New connections include Ryanair services from Cardiff, with Jet2.com poised to launch services from Bournemouth next year.
Tenerife is the main Canary Islands destination for air traffic from the UK, with almost 45% of air and tourist traffic in 2023, and 44% until September 2024.
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