26/11/09- Despite the current economic climate there are some signs that tourism on Lanzarote may take off again next year. AENA, the Spanish airport authority has extended the current waiver on airport charges and taxes for the duration of 2010. At the same time figures released indicate for the first time this year visitor numbers from Germany – the islands second largest market – rose last month. Providing a welcome boost for the many overseas owners of villas and apartments in Lanzarote .
Lanzarote´s tourist industry has been hit hard by the combined impact of the credit crunch and the deprecation of sterling this year. Twin factors that have led to a 16.87% reduction in the number of foreign arrivals during the first ten months of 2009 – equating to 226,291 fewer tourists. With the British market – Lanzarote´s largest – down even further by nearly 20%.
AENA´s initial removal of charges earlier this year led to low cost flight operators such as Ryanair switching their focus to the Canaries. The company started 16 new weekly flights to Lanzarote from across the UK last month. These extended to the neighbouring islands of Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura. Other budget airlines such as easyJet and Jet2 have also up weighted their services to the island as a result.
When launching their new routes to the Canaries Ryanair stated that the continuation of these services beyond the end of March 2010 was very much dependant upon AENA´s extension of this waiver on airport taxes and charges.
