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Amadores Beach
T he Canaries are one of the top three Spanish destinations
The Canaries are still seeing increasing tourism figures, despite economic anxieties within Europe; San Bartolome de Tirajana holds the favourite holiday spot in Spain.
A new report from a research group in the Costa del Sol puts the Canaries as their biggest rivals for foreign tourism. Top European destinations, according to their research, are themselves followed by the Canaries and Balearics, Costa Blanca, Portugal, Italy and then France.
The report found that 44.6% of Brits thought that the hospitality offered on the Costa del Sol was superior to that of its competitors. 24.8% said it offered the best prices and 23.1% said it offered the best climate. This RTN reporter has recently returned from the humid and unfriendly Costa del Sol and wonders if this poll reflects tourists that have ever experienced or travelled to the Canaries; possibly accounting for the 55.4% who didn’t say they went to the Costa del Sol for the superior hospitality and weather! According to a report they did, however, say that their competitors, the Canaries, had better beaches, were less crowded, cleaner and quieter!
Gran Canarian resorts still on top of polls
The official figures for tourism in July have been released and San Bartolome de Tirajana, which encompasses Playa del Ingles, San Augustin and Maspalomas, had the highest number of occupied nights from within all of Spain. The Canaries had the highest number of overnight apartment stays, 2.2% less than in 2007, at 3.2 million overnight guests. The Canaries are in the top three Spanish destinations for both foreign and resident tourist destinations, sharing the top spot with the Balearics islands, Cataluña and Valencia. The largest tourist market is still Great Britain, the average length of stay for all tourists is 6.4 nights and it is rural tourism that is showing one of the biggest growth areas for tourism in the Canaries.
Tourism figures still up on 2007
Overall figures for Gran Canaria specifically show that United Kingdom tourism in 2008 to date is only 0.51% down on last year, up 0.17% for Irish tourists; but with both markets down in July comparisons. The biggest growth market, in figures, has come from Poland with 54.68% more tourists but still a mere 5,799 visitors this year. However, the Poles enjoy the Canary Islands in general and this year 37,855 of them have holidayed on the islands. German, British and Norwegian tourists still account for the most tourism on Gran Canaria; however, the picture for all of the Canaries is German, British and Irish. Tourism is up 2.34% in the archipelago this year and 1.07% on Gran Canaria.
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