must promote the sports that are available on the island,in a peaceful environment”

FMHOY - Fuerteventura

Playitas Resort has a new director, whom we wanted to welcome and meet face to face.

His name is Marc Hoffman, he is German but speaks Spanish fluently. He is very experienced in hotel management and will be able to demonstrate it, as he is the director of Playitas Resort and La Pared Powered by Playitas.

As it seems a little complicated, this is our first question: Tell us about your experience in the hotel industry...

This is my twenty-fifth assignment in the hotel industry, in various countries, and I also worked in Ibiza. I have worked in many different destinations within this line of work, as I have worked in every single department, which helps me find faults more easily and solutions adapted to each location.

This earns me some respect from employees when they become aware of my experience, which is based on practice and not just theory or a degree.

I have lived in numerous countries because my father worked for a big tour-operator, which allowed me to live and discover various cultures from a young age. Furthermore, my mother speaks six languages, including Spanish, which she speaks better than I do.

And what do you think about the island from a tourism point of view?

The main advantage is the value of this destination, but with the changes brought on by Covid, we must update ourselves on some aspects and go back to basics. We are a bit far for German tourists to come and spend a weekend, which is easily done in the Balearic Islands or Greece, where they can travel within a few hours. On the other hand, it is a bit like living in the Caribbean all year round, with less heat, less humidity and fewer public health risks, within Europe.

Indeed, but the island’s highest season is the winter and I would like to find out from a marketing point of view, how the island is promoted, to understand why tourism numbers drop so much, in summer. I believe that we only talk about the beaches, and we must remember that the island has more to offer, so people choose Fuerteventura.

In the future, two aspects will be important to attract tourism, safety and sustainability. Safety is important when you are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. Judging from your experience, what does the island lack to become as attractive as possible, without destroying its tranquillity and serene beauty? Becau- se we often say that it isn’t enough to promote its unique, beautiful, and wild beaches, but, in truth, what does it need?

I believe that we need to promote the sports that the island has to offer, in a peaceful environment, and how easy it is to visit other islands, which are so different, with their landscapes, volcanoes, dunes, etc., to find accommodation, the value for money, as well as renting a car at a good price, to be a little adventurous. There are many small solutions that people need to be aware of, and we need to make all European tourists aware of them.

Liberty Seguros resolves some queries about home insurance

Q. Is Home Insurance obligatory in Spain?

A. No, it is not obligatory, but it is certainly highly recommended. Nowadays, very few properties are without home insurance. However, every customer’s needs are different. This is why Liberty Seguros has created additional coverages to allow customers to tailor-make their home policy, from the most basic cover to a wide range of additional guaranties and services to make sure that you only pay for what you really need.

Q. Does Liberty Seguros Home Policy include Public Liability cover for me and my family?

A. Yes, as long as the property contents are insured in the home policy. The policy Includes a standard cover that can be extended up to 1M Euros.

Q. Does Liberty Seguros Home Insurance Cover Tenant Vandalism?

A. Yes, you can add an optional cover: ‘act of vandalism by tenants’ guarantee, with up to €3.000 cover, which will allow you to forget about any hassle and get a profitable rental income.

Q. Are my garden and its contents covered by my home insurance?

A. Yes, Liberty Home Insurance has a specific standard cover for garden and terracefurniture, that can be extended up to €12,000. Our policy also includes a garden reconstruction guaranty, including replanting of trees.

Q. What should I consider to calculatemy home policy contents amount?

A. This will always depend on the size of the property, the property use, number of people living at the property, etc, but please make sure that you consider, at least, the following: Kitchen furniture and appliances, furniture and soft-furnishings for every room, clothes and personal belongings. Do not forget that jewellery and valuable objects are considered part of the contents cover, but you will need to consider the value of each item.

Q. What should I do in case of a home insurance claim?

A. Please make sure that you and any other person at home is safe and can move to a safe place. Then, take steps to minimize the any damage and contact your Home Insurance Assistance Department to report the claim (Liberty’s 24/7 home assistance phone number is 900 556 000).

Make sure that you provide your insurance policy number and details of the claim; and inform about what, when and how it happened.

Please be aware that claims should usually be reported no later than 7 days after the claim date. For more information, simply call 913 422 549 or visit: quote.libertyexpatriates.es/enand ask for a quote.