Lanzarote says it is fed up with having so many British tourists visiting the island - and wants FEWER UK holidaymakers!

As someone said on the gardening thread 'you can have too much of anything' ...

Some countries want to re-align their tourism. More quality than quantity. Brits OK, but perhaps a different type.

Originally I think it used to be much more "upmarket" than it is now.
Maybe there are too many cheap package holidays now.

Fleurpepper

As someone said on the gardening thread 'you can have too much of anything' ...

Some countries want to re-align their tourism. More quality than quantity. Brits OK, but perhaps a different type.

What do you mean by that?

We've been to Lanzarote.
Just saying.

Urmstongran

Oh dear.
I think they may regret this statement. Brits abroad spend a lot of money.
What are your thoughts on this?

When we first said we were going to Lanzarote, DB said "Lanzagrotty? Why would you want to go there? It's awful"

We liked it, it's fascinating. But, if they don't want British tourists there, that's fine, I'm quite happy not to visit again.
🙂

It is not the tourism, it is the segment it is attracting

NotSpaghetti

Originally I think it used to be much more "upmarket" than it is now.
Maybe there are too many cheap package holidays now.

I think you got it in one here- many parts of Spain and the world too!

We've been to Lanzarote, criss-crossed the whole of the Island and loved it.

Callistemon21

Fleurpepper

As someone said on the gardening thread 'you can have too much of anything' ...

Some countries want to re-align their tourism. More quality than quantity. Brits OK, but perhaps a different type.

What do you mean by that?

We've been to Lanzarote.
Just saying.

So have I , been to Lanzarote. I met some lovely Brits - were they the right ‘type’

I remember a very well travelled friend of the family loving Lanzarote (maybe in the very early 1970s) Fleurpepper.

It seemed at once glamorous and a little "rustic" - in terms of out-of-the-way but excellent local restaurants etc. They spoke to me in those days about the "boating set" dropping in. I haven't been.

Here's an article about tourism there if anyone is interested:
www.spain-lanzarote.com/en/discover/facts/tourism.html#:~:text=Serious%20tourism%20on%20Lanzarote%20picked,Lanzarote%20had%20been%20very%20slow.

So was Ibiza in those days- I remember it before the 'Club scene' arrived. Wonderful.

All people are maybe the "right type" Iam if they frequent local restaurants and buy local produce and crafts made there I would think.
If they are wanting to "realign" tourism it seems to me that they may want less people and more spending per capita.

Hithere

It is not the tourism, it is the segment it is attracting

Like DH and me?

😂😂😂

Callistemon21! No, not you, obviously

I had friends who spent a lot of time in Lanzarote but they mainly played golf.

Callistemon21

Hithere

It is not the tourism, it is the segment it is attracting

Like DH and me?

😂😂😂

And me Callistemon 🐕

I just love Lanzarote there are no high rise hotel , they are banned . The airport does not feel hugh and we have never ever felt unsafe going out at any time of the day The hotels we go to are all good quality. We first went in the 1990 and used to get two weeks for two for a grand . Now one week is almost a grand each. You do not get the really good food you get in Austria or Italy but for some winter sun it is great.

But we're not wanted any more.

I lived worked on Mallorca for a year. The native Mallorquins really dislike the Brits for what they see as ruining their lovely island. They may smile in the face of the paying holiday maker, but many of them despise us.

Unfortunately, many places around the world see us as interlopers and have an attitude similar to that of some Brits towards immigrants.

I love Playa Blanca. And the pretty village of Yaiza. The Timanfaya National Park. My late mum loved Puerta del Carmen where her friend and her husband bought a villa years ago. Happy memories.

Maybe we’re not the ‘right types’. Not wealthy enough perhaps. We used to eat out in the local bars and restaurants though so we must have brought something to their economy.

I heard it said once that the working classes got their winter sunshine in the Canaries and the better off went to the Caribbean.

Fair play. It’s horses for courses.
I’m not sure though that Lanzarote might just have shot themselves in the foot with this. People won’t forget they aren’t welcome. They’ll take their holiday spends elsewhere. Turkey maybe.

Puts me in mind of this man.
Remember him? He was formerly chief executive officer of the major British jewellery company Ratners Group. He achieved notoriety after making a speech in which he jokingly denigrated two of the company's products.

The company tanked.

I can understand their reasons. I looked the story up.

‘ A recent census revealed that up until November 2022, around 2.5 million people visited the Spanish island. With a population of 151,000, this figure is boosted 17 times by the arrival of travellers. Approximately half of this total is British apparently.’

Their native population is tiny, and must be completely overwhelmed by the number of tourists.

GagaJo

I lived worked on Mallorca for a year. The native Mallorquins really dislike the Brits for what they see as ruining their lovely island. They may smile in the face of the paying holiday maker, but many of them despise us.

Unfortunately, many places around the world see us as interlopers and have an attitude similar to that of some Brits towards immigrants.

Wales is lovely at this time of year 😀

Croeso i Gymru

I was curious.
This, from Wikipedia:

“What did Gerald Ratner say?

“People say, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's total crap." He compounded this by going on to remark that one of the sets of earrings was "cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks and Spencer's, but I have to say the sandwich will probably last longer.”

Casdon

I can understand their reasons. I looked the story up.

‘ A recent census revealed that up until November 2022, around 2.5 million people visited the Spanish island. With a population of 151,000, this figure is boosted 17 times by the arrival of travellers. Approximately half of this total is British apparently.’

Their native population is tiny, and must be completely overwhelmed by the number of tourists.

They must have built that much accommodation for all those visitors; they all book before they go there.

So going by that Casdon, Lanzarote want less tourists but of a ‘certain type’. They’re going to have to change their business model to attract a wealthier clientele. I wish them all the best.