The Canary Islands are being promoted as a refuge for 'silver plus' tourists this winter

The Ministry of Tourism for the Canary Islands has launched a new campaign to promote the islands in Germany as a "refuge" for 'silver plus' tourists, i.e. those over 55 years old, against the cold in the winter months, and the high energy costs caused by Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

In an official press release, they explain that the campaign includes contextual advertising on social media that came from an immediate reaction of the Canary Islands to the high concern shown by German citizens in the face of the energy crisis, which also takes advantage of the implementation by the German Government of various aids to alleviate the energy shortage.

The Minister of Tourism, Yaiza Castilla, highlighted that, with this one-off campaign, work continues "on capturing long-stay visitors, a niche of great interest for the Canary Islands since it stands out for generating a higher and better tourist turnover in the destination”.

The tourist profile targeted by this campaign is a German citizen who is between 55 and 75 years old and who has the time and financial solvency to enjoy a long stay in the Canary Islands, a destination that they already know from previous visits.

“We are aiming to have an impact on people who already have a potential interest in travelling to the islands, who want to escape the cold in their country over winter, and the high energy cost that entails, so they are open to prolonging their stay in an archipelago that it offers them sun and good weather during the winter season,” said Castilla.

PROFILE OF 'SILVER PLUS' TOURISTS:
The 'silver plus' tourist, who already chooses the Canary Islands as their holiday destination, does so because it belongs to Europe, because of the environment, the landscapes, the gastronomy, and because of the commercial and cultural offers.

Their average stay is 50 days, compared to nine days for all visitors. In addition, they spend an average of 2,907 euros per trip, compared to 1,137 euros for the rest.

80% of 'silver plus' visitors do not book their trip through a tour operator, but mostly buy the flight directly from the airline (73%) and book their own accommodation (54.1%).

Similarly, they are tourists who travel as a couple, travel to more than one island, and generally return to the islands; in fact, their previous visits help them to better organize their trip.

Finally, the 'silver plus' visitor is above average when it comes to touring the archipelago on their own, visiting wineries, markets, museums, and tasting Canarian cuisine.