The Canary Islands is actively encouraging older tourists to come and stay for longer periods and enjoy everything that the eight different islands have to offer.
The “Silver Plus” market is composed of over-55s with time and money to spend and has been a key element in the Canarian tourism strategy for a few years now, as the industry focuses on “quality” tourism – visitors with higher spending capacity and an interest in culture, food and sporting activities.
The Canarian Government has launched an eight-minute video which aims to attract older tourists for long stays on the islands. The campaign targets the “Silver Plus” sector – over55s with time and money to spend, and will be shown in the UK, Germany, Spain, France Italy, Belgium, Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden.
“What would it be like to live on another planet” asks the narrator of the video, referring to the Lanzarote’s “intense and powerful” landscapes and it’s “pure energy”.
Titled “Islands That Extend Life”, the video is the longest ad ever created by the Canarian Government and invites older tourists to consider “eight lives” on the eight different Canary Islands.
Yaiza Castilla, the Canarian Tourist Minister, justified the length of the video, saying “If people are to spend more time here, they’ll need more information.”
UK swallows affected
While EU citizens can travel freely in Spain, British “swallows” remain adversely affected by the 90-day rule that came into effect after Brexit, which limits them from spending more than 90 days out of 180 in Spain or any other Schengen country.
While the Canarian Government is unable to change these rules, it could certainly communicate the problem to the central government in Madrid as it negotiates the bilateral agreement that will govern relations between Spain and the UK.
Other regions of Spain, such as Valencia, have already indicated their support for an agreement that would permit British tourists to stay longer and permit non-resident homeowners to enjoy their property to the full. The Canaries have so far, however, remained silent on the issue.
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