Edition 486

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Also distributed in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote. 1.50 euros at newsagents.

THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EDITION 486

FRIDAY 18th OCTOBER TO THURSDAY 31st OCTOBER 2013

Eating Out & About Your dining experience around our restaurants PAGES 35-38

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SPINNING THE WHEEL

Casino revival in 2014? T

ENERIFE isn’t about to become “Eurovegas” but it is going to spin the wheel to see what fortunes casinos could bring.

The island’s government is aiming to sell shares in the casinos in Puerto de la Cruz, Santa Cruz and Playa de las Americas to entrepreneurs interested in developing a new tourist product. The idea is unlikely to bring a huge boost from a money point of view but will add yet another attraction for Tenerife and help to create and sustain jobs. New president of Tenerife Cabildo, Carlos Alonso says they have already received approaches and they were currently studying the value of the shares, in addition to the procedure they would offer, with a view to a sale in 2014. He stressed they were not looking for a Eurovegas and no decision would be taken yet as to whether it would open the door for more casinos across the island. Casinos would be one part of the tourism offer on Tenerife, not the main element. It was, however, “an opportunity” and “an interesting path”. The casino operations have apparently run at a loss over the last two years but a profit would be anticipated in 2014. Hoteliers are expressing caution about the profitability of any acquisition and also say entrepreneurs must not wait years for something to happen. Nevertheless, Ashotel believes it is a great business opportunity which would help to diversify tourism in Tenerife.

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MUSEOS DE TENERIFE

Shark puzzle

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TUDENTS at La Laguna University may come up with an idea to keep sharks away from the shores of Tenerife.

Experts are stressing that the sighting of three sharks in just over a month off Playa de las Americas is “nothing unusual” and 20 to 30 years ago, there were many more of them in the ocean here. However, it is accepted that closing a beach, even for a short time, does not help the island’s tourism image and can create concern. The students have been asked to look at preventative measures and why these sharks came into shore. Options available could include an electric device like a beacon as used in other countries but this has the serious drawback of being potentially harmful to other animals who could get stuck or die. The small sharks spotted are not considered a threat but Arona council is planning a new “protocol”. See for full story inside.

PEOPLE LOVE PUERTO

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UERTO de la Cruz appears to be winning its battle to revive its fortunes and become “somewhere extra special” in Tenerife.

Business leaders say a new report on tourism trends gives cause for optimism as visitor numbers are growing and so is daily expenditure. In fact, the average tourist spends 30 euros more than the island average, including more on car hire, entertainment, culture, health, restaurants and food. They also take more excursions and enjoy a greater number of activities. Particularly encouraging is the growth in visitor numbers which up until July showed an increase of 5.2%. This was mainly due to the Spanish market, up 7.7% which bucks the trend for the rest of the island which saw a drop of 5.3%. In July alone, tourists from the mainland rose 27.4%, important for Puerto as this market represented 63.4% of visitors to the town in July. The daily tourist spend in Puerto is worked out at 37.8 euros a day, compared to 36.5 euros in Adeje and Arona (39.5 euros). Tourism councillor Carmen Padilla said Puerto de la Cruz was trying to give visitors a different kind of product and the trend was very positive. It is also good news for the Urban Consortium which is leading the way in the revival.


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