Lanzarote launches bid to attract MORE British tourists months after the island’s president sparked outcry by calling for ‘higher-quality’ holidaymakers

• Lanzarote has launched a bid to attract more British and Irish tourists
• The island has been fighting to rebuild British-Canarian relations for months
• Its president said she wanted ‘higher-quality’ tourists to replace British ones 

Lanzarote has struck a deal with Ryanair to bring more British and Irish tourists to the island in a bid to boost tourism, months after its president said she wanted fewer British tourists and more ‘higher-quality’ ones from the continent. 

The 275,000 euro advertising campaign, signed off by the island’s Department of Tourism Promotion, will focus on the UK and Ireland. 

But it will also try and attract travellers from other European countries including Italy, Belgium, Germany, Poland, France, Slovakia, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

This year has seen the island’s leadership backpedal on comments made about the quality of British tourists. 

In February, president Dolores Corujo said she wanted to see the island rely less heavily on ‘the British market’, and focus on tourists from mainland Europe. 

In February, president Dolores Corujo said she wanted to see the island rely less heavily on ‘the British market’, and focus on tourists from mainland Europe

Lanzarote tourist board information shows Britons also spend an average of €34.94 per day on the volcanic islands, more than most foreign visitors

British expats make up five per cent of Lanzarote’s 130,000 population.

Corujo was later forced to allay the fears of British tourists by insisting: ‘You are and will always be welcome here.’

She added: ‘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.’

But the comments angered British tourists, who make up nearly half of the tourist who visit Lanzarote every year. 

Lanzarote tourist board information shows Britons also spend an average of €34.94 per day on the volcanic islands, more than most foreign visitors. 

On top of this, British expats make up five per cent of Lanzarote’s 130,000 population. 

She came under heavy fire from opposition leaders and industry groups, who said her comments were damaging to British-Canarian relations. 

Francisco Martinez, vice-president of Lanzarote’s Island Association of Hotels and Apartments, said political leaders were opening an unnecessary debate and being ‘badly-advised’.

Corujo’s comments angered British tourists, who make up nearly half of the tourist who visit Lanzarote every year

English Tourists on Puerto del Carmen Beach in Lanzarote (file photo)

British pub customer sitting outdoors in Puerto del Carmen (file photo)

A young girl applies sun cream to a relative’s back in Puerto del Carmen (file photo)

Jet2 boss Steve Heapy wrote to Corujo asking her to explain what she said and clarify whether or not she wanted British tourists coming to the island.

Lanzarote’s opposition leader Astrid Perez also waded into the debate, saying Corujo had been ‘irresponsible’ but adding: ‘I don’t expect the British to boycott Lanzarote just because of the irresponsible comments of a politician whose words don’t represent islanders’ feelings.’

Corujo was later forced to allay the fears of British tourists by insisting: ‘You are and will always be welcome here.’

She insisted in an open letter to a newspaper on the island: ‘It’s categorically false that in Lanzarote we do not want British tourism or that we want to reduce the numbers of British tourists.

‘I will say it once and for all. British tourism has always, is and will always be welcome on the island of Lanzarote.’

‘In Lanzarote we are also lucky to have an excellent long-time resident British community, a community that is sensitive to the environment and involved in caring for and defending sustainable development for our island.

‘We share our island character with the British and that makes the existence of limits in an insular, fragile and small territory like ours very well understood.

The first chartered flights from London in March following the furore touched down at Diagoras airport to a warm reception, with passengers met with a water arch from the local fire service.

Members of the tourism department offered gifts of sweets and honey, and the municipality’s philharmonic band played local music. 

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