SHIFTING SANDS
Business Traveller UK|September - October 2020
When visitors return to the Canary Islands, they will find both the journey and the destination have changed
TOM OTLEY
SHIFTING SANDS

From the terrace of the 19th-century lighthouse, the scene is unchanged from last year. Children play in the gentle surf, couples take advantage of the shade of a Canary Island date palm tree, and adventurous explorers make their way back from the Maspalomas Dunes nature reserve. At the foot of the lighthouse, a sculptor carves out a wall lizard in the sand, hoping for donations.

Yet turn inland and many of the hotels are shuttered. The apartments and private houses of Playa del Ingles have only handymen in them, cutting down dead branches from palm trees and tending to swimming pools. The few pedestrians who pass by are either wearing face masks or have them conveniently wrapped around their upper arms, ready to slip on when they come close to others or enter buildings, and the traffic is non-existent.

According to tourism chiefs, the situation is unlikely to change before the autumn at the earliest. The reason is obvious, but what can the Canary Islands do to prepare itself for the return of tourism, and what should it do, if anything, to encourage it?

FOR ALL SEASONS

In one sense, the encouragement is already there in the form of the natural attractions that have made the Canary Islands so popular in recent decades. Tourists come for the climate, the facilities, the service, the food and drink, the range of accommodation options – from affordable to luxury – and the ease of access from across Europe. Or, at least, they did come, before Covid-19.

この記事は Business Traveller UK の September - October 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は Business Traveller UK の September - October 2020 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

BUSINESS TRAVELLER UKのその他の記事すべて表示
The rail thing - Why airlines and train companies are partnering to increase options for travellers on short journeys
Business Traveller UK

The rail thing - Why airlines and train companies are partnering to increase options for travellers on short journeys

An intercity flight connection operated by train would have been almost unthinkable in the early 1990s, but in 2024 it will increasingly be the default experience at many European hub airports. European nations have been among the world's leaders in adopting high-speed rail for short-distance trips, along with Asian countries such as Japan and China.

time-read
5 分  |
September 2024
Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun
Business Traveller UK

Adventures in Albania - From paranoid dictatorship to dream travel destination, why the Balkan nation is ready for its moment in the sun

Over the past few years, tourism has shot up stratospherically; recent figures from the European Travel Commission show it's grown 86 per cent since 2019. Its GDP per capita has also been increasing, and last year stood at US$8,800, while the average monthly salary is now around 84,000 lek (£704). Foreign direct investment is also on the rise, with countries including Switzerland, Italy, and the Netherlands targeting sectors such as energy, mining, information and real estate to a value of around US$1.5 billion in 2022, according to UNCTAD's World Investment Report. Not bad for a country which used to depend on foreign food aid.

time-read
7 分  |
September 2024
Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London
Business Traveller UK

Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane, London

Watching Kanesaka work his magic is performance in itself

time-read
1 min  |
September 2024
Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen
Business Traveller UK

Scandic Spectrum, Copenhagen

An impressive corporate hotel just minutes from Copenhagen's centre

time-read
3 分  |
September 2024
Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester
Business Traveller UK

Kimpton Clocktower, Manchester

The perfect mix of gorgeous heritage design with cool, cosmopolitan attitude

time-read
3 分  |
September 2024
Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London
Business Traveller UK

Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London

A stunning success another calming experience in the capital

time-read
3 分  |
September 2024
Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS
Business Traveller UK

Eurostar Business Premier LONDON-PARIS

It remains the superior service for those travelling from London to Paris

time-read
3 分  |
September 2024
Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG
Business Traveller UK

Qatar Airways Boeing 777-300ER first class DOHA-HONG KONG

There is a lot to like, but my experience was far from perfect

time-read
2 分  |
September 2024
4 HOURS IN...Vienna
Business Traveller UK

4 HOURS IN...Vienna

You'll be spoiled for choice when it comes to the Austrian capital's museums, galleries and historic cafes

time-read
3 分  |
September 2024
SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY
Business Traveller UK

SWITCHING OFF IN...THE LOIRE VALLEY

Escape to the secluded forests of the Loire Valley for a digital detox

time-read
5 分  |
September 2024