Tenerife is enhancing its presence as a tourist destination in Italy, a market that last year reached 153,000 travelers, almost 30% more than in the previous year. A promotional activities carried out during 2016 by the Cabildo, through Tourism of Tenerife, are now added two new direct connections from Rome will be operated by Alitalia from Tenerife Airport North (TFN) and Norwegian, which will leave the Reina Sofia (TFS).
The president of the Cabildo, Carlos Alonso, explains that “the Italian market is of great importance for the island, an issuer which ranks sixth in terms of quota and that gives the island a higher annual income to 116.5 million euros “.
In this line, Alonso stressed that strengthening connectivity is “key” to attract tourists “and for this reason the beginning of these new connections is the result of the efforts made by the council with airlines in different forums as the fair Routes connectivity “. The island’s president warns that “we want our tourists have choices and can choose whatever you come on business or companies who offer low cost in class.”
In the case of the Italian market, and as pointed to the insular Minister of Tourism, Alberto Barnabas, “Our strategy focuses on strengthening and renewing the image of the island for the Italian traveler, presenting products like sports and outdoor activities, rural tourism or shopping, among other things, in addition to carrying out initiatives linked to the launch of new air routes. ”
In this sense, the actions carried out in the current year have been aimed at promoting not only the qualities of the island as a destination for sun and beach but also their complementary possibilities, from theme parks to nature or leisure, especially the night. Thus, in the framework of this strategy, the island has been present at the No Frills de Bérgamo, on 29 and 30 September 2016, where the entity under the Cabildo attended with its own stand together with several associates and where he held a full schedule of meetings with various agencies and travel agents.
Tenerife also attended the fair TTG Incontri in Rimini #TTG2016. This fair took place from 13 to 15 October 2016 and is the main Italian fair with tour operators. The island was part of Promotur area in the space of Turespaña. During the meeting numerous contacts with travel agents were performed and meetings with the Spanish Tourist Offices (OET) in Milan and Rome as well as the airline Alitalia were held to plan joint actions for 2017 following the new flight to be launched since early November 2016 with two weekly frequencies – on Saturdays and Sundays-between Rome and Tenerife North airport. Norwegian also operates from November 1st direct flight from Rome to Tenerife.
These new connections are added to those already offered by other companies such as Ryanair or Easyjet especially from the north of Italy, including the regions of Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, and which together account for 70% of tourists Italians who visited Tenerife last year. The efforts of the entity under the Cabildo now focus on strengthening the arrival of travelers from other Italian regions such as Lazio, where Rome is located in the center of the country.
In collaboration with Alitalia different actions are scheduled for the coming months, including training on the island for their travel agents. In November and begins an online media campaign with the platform Logitravel holiday bookings, which will last until February, and which seeks to encourage bookings overlooking the summer.
Courtesy of La Opinión de Tenerife
