Jet2 airline furious at Lanzarote's vow to reduce British holidaymakers for 'higher quality' Germans
Jet2’s CEO has demanded an explanation from Lanzarote’s president following her “inflammatory and offensive” remarks
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Jet2’s CEO has demanded an explanation from Lanzarote’s president following her “inflammatory and offensive” remarks after she said the island was aiming to rely less on Brits in favour of “higher quality holidaymakers”.
Airline boss Steve Heapy has sent a letter to Dolores Corujo asking for clarity over her comments and whether see wants tourists from the UK to come to the Canary Island.
“As the largest UK tour operator to Lanzarote, I contacted her for clarification over her inflammatory and quite frankly offensive comments about British tourists,” he told Travel Weekly.
He added that he wants to know “what she means and to what extent she wants to reduce British tourism”.
President Dolores Corujo said the island was aiming to rely less on Brits in favour of “higher quality holidaymakers”
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It follows Corujo's comments last week which claimed Lanzarote was being saturated by British tourists and the island wanted more “higher quality” travellers from Europe.
Corujo said she did not want Lanzarote to have to depend on large volumes of British tourists so would instead aim to attract higher-spending holidaymakers from Germany, the Netherlands, and France.
Heapy said the president's comments have “left the hotelier community asking the same questions.”
Jet2 sends around 625,000 tourists to Lanzarote each year.
The CEO said there is now a lot at stake for the company and despite Corujo moving the island's future tourism strategy away from Brits, he said Jet2 had heavily invested in Lanzarote.
Last week Corujo said: “It's essential to work on the diversification of the sector and the growth of markets like the German market, which adapt to our intentions of aiming at higher-quality tourism and holidaymakers who spend more when they're here and moves us away from mass tourism.”
Heapy said he had “extreme concern regarding the articles that have been published in the main print and online newspapers in the United Kingdom this weekend” following the president’s comments.
He said it would have “a very detrimental effect on British tourists who are choosing Lanzarote for their holidays this year.”
Jet2's CEO said there is now a lot at stake for the company
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Corujo has appeared to warn against UK travellers over recent months.
She previously said last month that the Canary island was saturated with British tourists and wanted a new approach to their tourism industry.
According to Lanzarote tourist board information, Brits spend an average of €34.94 per day on the island, more than most foreign visitors.
In 2019, there were a total of 1.3 million UK visitors to Lanzarote.
A spokesperson told Travel Weekly that it hoped Corujo would explain her comments and “hold the necessary meetings with representatives of the British market” to provide them with reassurance.