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Official end of year figures released by Tenerife Tourism Corporation show that 2011 was a record year for tourists to the island, with the UK showing an increase of 10.6% compared to 2010. An incredible 1,658,315 holidaymakers visited from the UK, representing the highest annual figure since the peak of 2005.
The largest hike in British tourists was seen in the month of September, with a 34% growth year-on-year. In terms of accommodation choices, the largest increase was seen in the hotel sector, with 14% more tourists staying in hotels, compared to 7.6% more tourists staying in non-hotel properties.
Tenerife witnessed a 6.3% increase in tourist arrivals in winter 10/11, its highest level in recent years. Furthermore, figures on the rise over the past few months indicate a promising outlook for the current winter season.
Last year’s summer period alone saw an increase of 21.2%, which in comparison to previous years, shows Tenerife is becoming increasingly popular as a summer holiday destination.
In response to the positive findings, Pia Louw, Travel Trade Industry Director at the Tenerife Tourism Corporation said: "We’re extremely pleased to see a come-back in British tourists, which demonstrates confidence is gradually being restored. Nonetheless, in such uncertain conditions and in such a highly competitive environment, we will continue to work hard to maintain our position as a top holiday choice for UK visitors, which represent our most important source market."
Coinciding with the positive news, Tenerife Tourism Corporation announced the launch of a new tourism strategy, which will be put into practice with immediate effect over the next four years.
Approved on 9th February 2012, the document detailing the Tenerife Tourism Strategy 2012 – 2015 outlines 11 objectives which cover areas varying from product development to promotional activities.
At the launch of the new tourism strategy, Carlos Alonso, Vice-President of the Tenerife Island Government and Tourism Minister in Tenerife commented: "In an effort to refresh our tourism offering and keep on track of the changing market trends we have designed a new strategy, which we will put into practice over the next four years. In short, we will focus on regenerating tourist areas, innovating our product and services, and building closer ties with our partners. In terms of promotional activities, we will implement more online initiatives and boost our presence in social media."
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
