Tourist forecasts are good for October with 70% occupancy and a high volume of bookings

The tourism sector is set to warm up during the month of October, as the Canary Islands head towards the high season "with very good prospects", according to the president of hoteliers association FEHT, José María Mañaricua, due to the high number of bookings and reservations in the next month, which will increase in November and throughout the winter season.

The Minister of Tourism for the Canary Islands, Yaiza Castilla, shares these forecasts and optimism based on strong demand and the number of seats on flights made available by the airlines, which this winter will have 9% more available than in the same period of 2019/2020, with a total of 7.8 million places, which is 650,000 more than pre-Covid.

Mañaricua says his members, in the province of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, are forecasting occupancy of 70% in October after the good progress of last-minute reservations (people who book to come in the next three weeks), and if everything progresses in the same way, will grow in November assuming "nothing happens" in the meantime.

“For the first time since the pandemic began, the forecasts are good and we see that the numbers are growing. There are no cancellations and reservations are increasing at a steady pace in good numbers”, he says.

He continued that the German and Dutch markets are doing very well, however, from October, significant growth in British tourists is expected after the UK has cancelled the travel traffic light system.

As of October 4th, fully vaccinated tourists returning home to the UK from Spain (including the Canary Islands) will not have to take a pre-departure test before boarding their flight, which takes away a huge uncertainty when booking their holidays, as after the cost of testing, being ‘stranded’ abroad was the next thing that concerned most people and prevented them from travelling.

From November the arrival of the Scandinavians is expected, which is one of the main source markets for the Canary Islands over the winter.

Jorge Marichal, the president of Ashotel, said yesterday, that despite the uncertainty generated by La Palma, the forecasts are "good" as of November for the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. "We are entering our peak season par excellence, we are well advanced in overcoming the pandemic and our main source markets are open and reducing restrictions on travelling.”

Regarding the reopening of hotels after Covid, Mañaricua estimates that the accommodation establishments that remain closed, will open their doors throughout October and considers that from November they will be 100% operational in the province of Las Palmas.

Marichal estimates that at the end of October 90% of the accommodation establishments in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife will be reopened, after September saw 85% open. The key at this time, without taking our eyes off the situation on La Palma, lies in continuing to work to accelerate the pace of recovery. "There is a desire to travel and that is showing in the reservations," says Marichal.