Tourist figures for April show alarming drop

[aspasia]

The Canarian Government is in consternation over April's tourist figures, which have fallen 13.3%, a percentage that equates to 55,000 tourists fewer for these islands than in 2011. The Government said that it already expected a drop because of the reduction in air tariff subsidies and the economic crisis, but the figures were worse than anticipated. Is it even conceivably possible that the Government does not realize that its current campaign against touristic lettings has played a part – maybe even a large part – in the fall in visitors? I myself have had many enquiries from concerned tourists who believe that they are now "illegal". I have also had many enquiries from owners who believe that their only recourse to avoid a fine of nearly €20,000 is to remove their holiday offer from the internet.

Are these politicians and bureaucrats remotely aware of the damage they are doing to these islands with this "campaign to improve" Tenerife's touristic offer? And how many more months of free falling tourist numbers will it take before they wake up? Quite a few, it seems, given that although the Government very recently rejected Ashotel's call for exemption from the rise in IGIC, the hoteliers' association is now calling for an extra tax on hotel accommodation. Let's scare the holidaymakers away even more, why don't we? JA

[aspasia]

who corrected my it's to its?? I was just going in to correct when I notice it's right ....... 

[Nova]

That would be me, sorry   

I couldn't resist 

[aspasia]

 

[Phil]

That would be me, sorry   

I couldn't resist 

Too much time on your hands in blighty, Nova? 

[Nova]

LOL you don't expect me to change just because I'm a few thousand miles away, do you? 

[aspasia]

On top of April's poor figures, Turismo has announced that the forecast for the tourist sector for summer is very bad, with a drop in reservations of 6% compared to the same period in 2011. The department is blaming a drop in flight numbers, but notes that the numbers of British reservations are down 7%, more than the average and that German ones are up 3%. They're still not getting the picture ...

[aspasia]

 The number of tourists in Tenerife in May was down again, 1.3% on 2011. The drop in the first third of 2012 is 4.1%, says the Cabildo, which confirmed that the fall was concentrated primarily in the non-hotel sector - and in this type of accommodation, they fell considerably, 11.5%. Hotels saw an increase of 4.2%. British holidaymaker figures fell 7.3%.JA

[Nova]

I'm guessing "non-hotel" means private apartments? 

[aspasia]

yes siree ...