Adeje has been named the most competitive Spanish tourist destination according to a SolyTur study published today by Exceltur. The study, which analysed over 87,000 pieces of relevant data from the different destinations throughout the country, was presented today at an online participative event where the Adeje mayor José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga was also present. EXCELTUR, Alianza para la Excelencia Turística (Alliance for Excellency in Tourism), is a non-profit group formed by the leading Spanish tourist groups and businesses in the sector.
The mayor underlined the relevance of the study, “an important working tool which allows us follow specific methods in what is the face of a singular crisis coming from outside our influence”. He added that the data gleaned from the SolyTur study showed that “when we overcome this health crisis we will have a solid and rapid recovery in tourism”. On the importance of this ranking for Adeje, Rodríguez Fraga commented, “what I feel most is pride in the news, pride in having earned the title for a destination with synergy, with a very engaged businesses sector, who has risked a lot, who have committed, and who will move forward. Costa Adeje is a destination where the working population have adapted magnificently and we have been able to send a message to the rest of the world, even from the start of the pandemic, when we had to close the first hotel here, a message that our people were ready and had the human and professional capacity to meet this unexpected and difficult situation head-on”.
Óscar Perelli, the director of study and investigation for Exceltur, also commented on Adeje’s top placing, stating that the destination “has an excellent work record in its beaches. 90% of Adeje’s beaches have teams in place, with terrific services for those wishing to enjoy the coast line. Adeje also has the capacity to design an urban model that has attracted high quality hotels, and alongside the hotel offer Adeje has excellent leisure options, such as the Siam Park water park (voted world’s best water park by Trip Advisor six years in a row up to 2019), as well as other leisure offers nearby. The destination also has good connectivity with the Tenerife Sur airport. 80% of the borough’s overnight stays are regulated, and there is a high concentration of 5-star accommodation.
“Adeje”, he added, “is also a destination that has a mayor who works to realise his plans and sees them through to the end, is concerned with investment, better jobs for workers in the sector, leading in what is considered a very relevant manner”.
The competitivity monitor for sun and beach destinations – SolyTur – is part of the work of Exceltur dedicated to analysing determinate elements in the sector. The objective is to study and strengthen the competitive element of the principal destinations along the Spanish coastline, and in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Altogether 87,000 pieces of data were collected using 58 different indicators reflecting the distinct competitive conditions given to improve economic, environmental and social results for each zone. In the overall ranking Adeje was in first place. (It is important to note that this study and the results are based on data gathered pre-pandemic, in 2019).
“These results are a showcase for the excellence we strive for in our destination, the stability and dedication we bring to the job, that all who are involved are dedicated to, the chain of values that influence the entire borough; it has paid off. These results should help us and those who are worried about the future of the destination – tourism will generate wealth and opportunities for everyone in Adeje, that is our main objective”, said the mayor.
Adeje came first in a number of areas including maintenance and valuing the coastline as the destinations principal resource and tourism attraction. Access to beaches, nautical sporting options, sailing, surfing, sea-based excursions, scuba-diving, all played a part in placing Adeje in the number one spot.
Adeje also claimed top spot in the area of tourism accommodation, with analysis of the regulation of hotels and other accommodation options, with economy of scale also taken into account. The price: quality ratio considering the hotel offer, the ease of movement in the destination, the attractiveness of the destination etc., were another factor in Adeje’s favour. Diversity of leisure offers were another plus – golf, family activities, nature treks, night-time activities, gastronomy, wellness, etc., saw Adeje placed in the top three destinations. The Exceltur report also noted as a plus the transversal nature of local politics in tourism, with a unified strategic vision for tourism in the destination helped by a coordinated infrastructure, politics of marketing and promotion and the move by Adeje to be an ‘intelligent tourism destination’.
Exceltur has also underlined where, in general, improvements can be made following analysis of the data, mentioning the need, as a priority, to increase financial capacity for tourism destinations in Spain. Regarding this latter point, José Miguel Rodríguez Fraga added his voice to the debate, stating that there needs to be a proper recognition of what is a tourism borough in terms of structural funding. While European Structural Funding is something we can take advantage of, he said, it was an extremely complicated application procedure. He also said that there was a risk that we would begin to see only the moves ahead as of relevance – “deify new strategic lines, which are, obviously fundamental, but we need not to forget what is most important – infrastructure, tourism infrastructure, and services, which also have to be maintained, improved and incentivised”.
The report also referred to “endemic financial difficulties suffered by sun and beach destinations due to an unjust system of local financing, affecting many of the key resorts and their capacity to meet future challenges.” Exceltur is looking for immediate resolution of the issue whereby local tourism boroughs receive funding from the national government for services (rubbish collection, water supply etc.) based on the number of registered residents when often they are catering for triple that number given their reliance on tourism. They believe there are ways to resolve this with modification of local tax regulations without having to increase hotel or overnight stay taxes which would potentially damage the financial competitivity of those destinations.
