World Travel Market opens today in London's ExCel Centre featuring huge Canaries stand

Janet · 09-11-09, 12:40

Over 50,000 people are expected to descend on the ExCel Centre, in London, over the next few days to visit the World Travel Market (WTM), which opens today. The Canaries have a huge stand to market their presence to the world travel industry at one of the three most important tourism fairs in the world. The islands’ advertising will focus on “volcanic experience”, “wellness delight”, “family welcome” and “water sports experience”.

The President of the Canarian Government, Paulino Rivero, himself will inaugurate the stand, which has cost the tourism budget nearly half a million Euros, and is huge at 823 square metres. The clear aim is to reposition the Canaries as the best European winter sun resort, and the best antidote to the “winter blues”, the subject of another promotional campaign costing €7 million, and which is running concurrently with the WTM, promoting the islands in the UK, Spain, France, Ireland, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Austria, Italy, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, Finland, and Norway.

The Government is hoping that the combined marketing will in particular regenerate the British love affair with the islands, which has cooled over the last few years, and particularly the last 18 months which, not least because of the global crisis, have seen an inexorable reduction in their numbers visiting the islands.

Here's a picture of the Canaries' stand at the WTM in the ExCel Centre. Would be great if anyone who goes could report back on this thread!

JAA

andydog · 09-11-09, 12:42

..............

uptowngirl · 09-11-09, 13:29

We were due to go to this!!!!!

Unfortunately due to hectic schedules and ridiculous amounts of Cruise bookings, staff holidays etc etc it was only feasible for me to go............................ on my own............. and hubby didn´t trust me in London on my own at the companies expense as he knows I am likely to go shopping!!!!

This is a fantastic opportunity for the Canary Islands to stamp their feet and make some noise. I just hope they utilise this opportunity to its fullest extent.

I was in Barcelona last week and just wish that Tenerife had half of the ´Buzz´that was happening over there.......................

fixer · 09-11-09, 13:56

I read somewhere that people dont identify with the Canaries as a group off islands a a holiday destination rather as individual places ie Tenerife Gran Canaria ect what does the forum think. David

Briz · 09-11-09, 14:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by fixer

I read somewhere that people don't identify with the Canaries as a group of islands as a holiday destination rather as individual places ie Tenerife Gran Canaria ect what does the forum think. David

Very true

Janet · 09-11-09, 14:33

The problem is there is a regional governmental budget, and there has been an immense of squabbling here as the recession started to bite into tourist numbers. Gran Canaria has complained that Tenerife has used its sandy beaches for its own advertising; Fuerteventura is just mad about everything; Lanzarote is complaining about airport funding, etc etc etc ...

There is no way one could achieve a problem-free marketing campaign giving each island its fair share of the budget, and even if one could, they'd argue that it wasn't their fair share because of x or y reasons.

Also, I think it would undermine the campaign as it is if the islands went solo, not that it's practical to do so anyway. The one way they can include everything, from spa to golf, beach, nightlife, volcano, walking, and so on, is if they market themselves as a group. Draw people in and then you can start to focus on the individual islands. This is, after all, how the Maldives, Seychelles, Hawaii, etc, do it.

Periklês · 09-11-09, 15:44

A huge Canaries stand?

Here is my contribution

Briz · 09-11-09, 16:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet

The problem is there is a regional governmental budget, and there has been an immense of squabbling here as the recession started to bite into tourist numbers. Gran Canaria has complained that Tenerife has used its sandy beaches for its own advertising; Fuerteventura is just mad about everything; Lanzarote is complaining about airport funding, etc etc etc ...

There is no way one could achieve a problem-free marketing campaign giving each island its fair share of the budget, and even if one could, they'd argue that it wasn't their fair share because of x or y reasons.

Also, I think it would undermine the campaign as it is if the islands went solo, not that it's practical to do so anyway. The one way they can include everything, from spa to golf, beach, nightlife, volcano, walking, and so on, is if they market themselves as a group. Draw people in and then you can start to focus on the individual islands. This is, after all, how the Maldives, Seychelles, Hawaii, etc, do it.

And then make it very very cheap to hop from island to island...

Janet · 11-11-09, 02:39

The Canaries’ stand in the World Travel Market in London’s ExCel Centre has won first price for best stand. The Canaries’ Tourism Minister, Rita Martín, was delighted with the award, and said that without doubt it would help the team to continue tirelessly to achieve the islands’ touristic potential. JAA

uptowngirl · 11-11-09, 08:51

Fantastic News!!! Now I'm gutted I didn't go.......................

We will definitely be there next year though.