It’s official: Brits are still in love with Tenerife

There may have been reports about Brits wanting to take their holidays to another level by venturing further afield, but for now, they are just as committed as ever to their favourite Canary Island.

According to the Tenerife Tourism Corporation, over 1.5 million holidaymakers travelled to Tenerife in 2013, accounting for almost a third (31.8%) of its international visitors that year – compared to 31% the previous year.

There has been one notable difference with British tourists though: more people are choosing to stay 4 and 5 star hotels. More than four in 10 holidaymakers are opting to revel in the luxury of top hotels and 30% more are migrating to the island’s cities: Santa Cruz and La Laguna. While the cities might be experiencing a boost in popularity, it’s no real surprise to see that the beach resorts are still firm favourite with the Brits.

Travel Industry and Promotion Director at the Tenerife Tourism Corporation, Pia Louw commented on British holidaymakers’ love of the island: “The UK is our most loyal market with a repeat visitor rate of 77%.”

“We believe that the reasons for this fidelity, apart from our weather of course, include the huge variety they can find on the island – from UNESCO Heritage sites and hilltop villages to stunning volcanic landscapes and forests – and the continuous development of new tourism products and activities, such as stargazing,” she added. The volume and variety of activities is definitely contributing to the UK’s love of Tenerife as more people opted to take part in things like whale watching, visiting a theme park and travelling to the summit of Mount Teide in 2013.

Choosing to do more activities on holiday is a great way to explore the island’s culture, but it also emphasises the need for a suitable travel insurance policy. Tourism is essential to the lifeblood of the island as it generated over €3.7 million (£3.05m) in 2013 – up 5% on the previous year – and 80,000 jobs. With Brits accounting for almost a third of international tourists in Tenerife, they are an important contributor to the local economy.

Date Created: 06/03/2014