Tenerife. Quo vadis? Cnt.

The first one is to have a continuous process of exit interviews, conducted by trained multilingual interviewers, in the departure lounges of both Reina Sofia and Los Rodeos. Here you have a willing and representative market sample in a situation of enforced boredom for anything up to two hours. These homebound tourists will be delighted to cooperate with the survey and get any grievances off their chests.

The second source of information is to ask the thousands of foreign residents, particularly those from the EU who live and work here, for their views. These people can be both one of our best sources of information and also our best ambassadors. Imagine the huge multiplicity of skills including languages and diverse experiences which such people as a body have to offer, at no cost...pro bono patria adoptada! Many of these ‘foreigners’ are very special tourists (resident tourists) in that they spend money here every day for several months each year and not just for a week or ten days! Should we not award these people VIP treatment? At worst, is it not better to have them inside your tent, looking out rather than outside looking in?

The fact that Tenerife is by its nature a magical island, with most of the magic being generated directly or indirectly by Mount Teide is not open to debate. It is simply an indisputable fact, literally written in stone. Therefore, in principle, we have a fabulous product to market and that is the wonderful, indeed the unique, island of Tenerife. However, in order to optimise its potential, Tenerife must be marketed as an entity, as a whole, not just any specific part of it.

Tenerife. Quo vadis?

Tourism is the lifeblood of Tenerife. All of those fortunate enough to live and work in this magical island, drink from this elixir this life source, directly or indirectly.
Tourism is not in a crisis in Tenerife; not unless we make it so either by negative thinking or by identifying where we are as a problem rather than as an opportunity. The industry is merely at a crossroads where there are a number of alternative routes which we can select to launch ourselves successfully into phase two of our development, into a sustained trajectory of quality growth. In this phase two there must also be a continuous effort to identify and grow other sources of lifeblood; thus protecting ourselves from ‘contamination’ of this one arterial source. That is to say we must diversify and develop other employment generating economic activities.

Phase one, which has lasted for about forty years, is over. Enormous progess has been made even if, at times, quality has been sacrificed for quantity. We now have the opportunity to take stock, to decide where we have been, where we are now, where we want to go, where we should go and, last but not least, where we can go with the blend of resources available to us while being ever sensitive to the dynamics of the market place. This review should above all be a learning experience. If we don’t learn from the past we are doomed to repeat any errors that we may have made. Quality rather than quantity in every aspect of the term should be our motto and in this context perhaps we should accept that five million tourists is at or indeed above the level sustainable by Tenerife. It appears clear that at or near this figure the island is close to overload. There is overall saturation and diminishing returns set in.

Low cost airlines and an ever-expanding EU have transformed the tourism world. Furthermore, tourists are becoming more adventurous in their choice of destinations. Spiralling fuel costs may temper this sense of adventure and, indeed, may prove relatively advantageous to Tenerife.
Why would tourists come here rather than go to an increasing number of alternative destinations where they may enjoy equal or better facilities at possibly lower prices? Rather than trying to sell what we believe we have got to offer, perhaps we should ask tourists, both actual and potential, what they want and expect from us. This is probably the essential difference between selling and marketing. There are two simple and practically cost-free methods of acquiring this feedback, this very valuable marketing information. To be continued...
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Property in Spain, Tenerife

Regardless of what stage of the economic cycle we find ourselves in, life must go on. We have to continue doing the normal things such as working, buying and selling; whether that be our weekly trip to the local supermarket or the local garage or builders providers. We must take the kids to school and meet our usual social obligations.
The property market must also keep moving as people have to change homes due to job change, promotion, emigration, family bereavement, retirement etc. Commercial property also will change hands due to expansion, downsizing, relocation etc
Things may happen at a slower pace or at a lower level but they continue to happen.
The show must and does go on!
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Irish Economy on 'way back'.

'We are in a cycle and 2008/9 is the bottom of the cycle. We should be at the top of it in 2012.' So says the prestigious ESRI or Economic and Social Research Institute. Meanwhile with Ireland moving up the value chain it appears that there will be a decline in constructioin and manufacturing to be replaced by growth in the services sector, particulary in the financial arena, and managerial and professional positions will account for the major share of the jobs market.
Meanwhile the government should concentrate more resources on infrastructural development. All this is in line with recent commentary by the OECD.
There is growing evidence that the so called crisis in most European countries is less traumatic than the various gurus would have us believe. If Ireland and other well managed economies will be peaking again within three to four years, now appears to be a good time to seriously reflect on medium term investment.
One possibility in Tenerife could be to purchase now from plans, at fixed prices and experience at least a 50% growth in value during the delivery period. Tenerife is already spending vastly on infrastructure! Now is very much a buyers market. Consult a professionally qualified, registered and bonded estate agent, without obligation.
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