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DO NOT LIVE Agents snub pre -Convention tours
Tenerife’s tourism industry has cancelled a lavish three-day hospitality event for British travel agents after just seven out of 1,300 delegates attending this month’s ABTA Convention expressed an interest in signing up for it.
The Tenerife Tourism Corporation had co-ordinated a comprehensive programme prior to the Convention, including complimentary accommodation at some of the most prestigious hotels in the Canary Islands.
Travel agents and their partners had been offered a completely free four-night stay at top hotels, including the five-star Botanico and others such as the Florida, Puerto Palace and Sol.
A packed three-day programme, from November 24-26, included the chance to go paragliding, ride in antique carriages and visit many leading attractions in Puerto de la Cruz and Orotavo Valley areas. Meals, transport, accommodation and entertainment were all being provided at no cost to the participants.
Organisers had expected that up to 150 delegates would sign up for the trips.
Those agents who expressed an interest have been told they can still have the free accommodation, but there will now be a solitary day trip through the Mount Teide Park on Monday, November 26.
Christopher Kiessling, whose family run two of Tenerife’s top attractions, Loro Parque and Siam Park, said he was disappointed but added it reflected the extent of work needed to promote the north of Tenerife.
“The programme that was offered was the most interesting and complete one that could possibly be put together. But the British tourist industry, the very people responsible for building up tourism in the north of Tenerife, is finding the product increasingly hard to sell. The concentration of flights to the south of Tenerife, our distance from the airport and the waiting time at UK airports prior to flying means that a British holidaymaker is spending a whole day getting here.”
ABTA spokesman Sean Tipton said the lack of numbers was due to pressure of work.
“Our members are already giving up three days of their busy schedules to attend the Convention. It’s not a lack of interest, just a lack of time,” he said.
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Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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