Lanzarote Living

Two recent announcements from the airport authority AENA suggest that there may at last be brighter skies ahead for Lanzarote´s beleaguered tourist industry.  Which so far this year has witnessed a fall in visitor number of over 226,291 arrivals.  As the rate of decline appears to be slowing.  Whilst visitor numbers from Germany – Lanzarote´s second largest market – actually rose during October.  The first positive growth recorded in any major market so far this year.

In keeping with the rest of Spain Lanzarote has obviously been hit hard by the economic crisis.  Not least as the island is so heavily dependant on tourism - and British tourism at that.  A reliance which has been very much exposed this year as the weakness of the pound against the euro has seen UK visitor numbers fall by nearly 20%.  Some way ahead of the 16.8% average for all other key national markets.

Throughout the course of this year arrivals to the island have been falling by double digit numbers – with occupancy levels in Lanzarote apartments, villas and hotels also suffering as a result.

Now however the latest AENA figures suggest that the rate of decline may at last be slowing.  As last month the total number of foreign visitors fell by “only” 8.17%.  A marked improvement on previous months figures – which were averaging out at declines of around 16%.

Best of all – and for the first time this year – the AENA statistics reveal that one of Lanzarote´s most important markets, Germany, has shown sign of positive growth.  With the number of tourists arriving on flights to Lanzarote from that country increasing from 19,912 passengers in October 2009 to 20,418 last month. 

This brighter news has also been followed by AENA´s recent announcement that they intend to continue to waive all airport taxes and charges for the duration of 2010.

Initially, this initiative was for the short term and was only set to last until the end of March 2010.  As the airport authority and Spanish government sought ways to revive Spain’s flagging tourist sector.  But now this has been extended – a move which should hopefully maintain increased competition on flight routes to Lanzarote and the rest of the Canaries.

AENA´s initial announcement attracted the attention of Ryanair – who launched 16 new services to the island last month.  Whilst other low cost flight operators such as easyJet and Jet2 have also increased their services to the island over recent months as a result.

At the time of writing there is no indication as to Rynair´s future plans.  However the airline did state that the extension of services beyond the end of March 2010 was entirely dependent on the extension of the waiver by AENA.