Also distributed in Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote.
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THE INDEPENDENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER WITH LOCAL, NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS
EDITION 635
FRIDAY 27th SEPTEMBER TO THURSDAY 10th OCTOBER 2019 MOVIES AT ...
EATING OUT & ABOUT
PAGES PA 25 - 27
Your dining experience aroundd our o restaurants
PAGES 39 -48
FORTNIGHTLY SUPPLEMENT NT
property
guide
THOMAS COOK COLLAPSE
BRINGS ANOTHER CRISIS FOR THE CANARY ISLANDS
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HE collapse of the Thomas Cook Group, including the UK tour operator and airline, announced on Monday is being described as the “biggest crisis facing the Canary Islands” in years and could have lasting repercussions. As the Tenerife News went to press, there was still the tiniest of chances that the busines might be saved or given an extension lifeline as hoteliers in the archipelago joined with others elsewhere to try and arrange some sort of financial rescue package. Whatever happens, it still left around 150,000 people stranded at their holiday destinations, including an estimated 25,000 in the Canaries, and the plans of thousands of others in tatters. The Brits are the leading market for the Canaries and losing Thomas Cook is a massive blow. Thomas Cook had brought more than four million visitors a year to the islands and was the second most important tour operator in the Canaries. Between January and August of this year, 2.6 million visitors arrived through Thomas Cook,
mainly British. All the tourist groups of the islands had only just raised a number of worries with the Canary Government, including the uncertainty of Brexit, the drop in German visitors and the changing habits of many Nordic tourists, concerned about the environmental impact of air transport. The air connectivity of the Canary Islands is one of the most prominent issues at the moment, compounded by the announcement of the closure of bases in the islands by Ryanair. For those left stranded in the Canaries, the biggest issue as of Monday was when they would get home and it might not be immediate. The UK Civil Aviation Authority’s repatriation programme will run until Sunday, October 6th. It is also contacting hotels accommodating Tho-
mas Cook customers as part of a holiday package to let them know that the cost of the accommodation for these customers will be covered by the ATOL scheme. The Civil Aviation Authority
has launched a special website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, where affected customers can find details and information on repatriation flights, as well as advice on accommodation for both ATOL and non-ATOL
Chambermaids call for “zero tolerance” after Brit is fined for sexual proposition
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British tourist accused of sexually propositioning a hotel chambermaid in Lanzarote has been ordered to pay a fine of more than 2,000 euros, plus the costs of the case. The incident is alleged to have happened on August 10th, around 12.30pm, when the 20-year-old girl went to the client’s room to clean it. The hotel was in the popular holiday resort of Playa Blanca where, it is claimed, the Brit showed the chambermaid a message on his mobile phone which offered her 59 euros to “have sex”. He is said to have taken hold of her arm and told her he “insisted on it” before she managed to break free and run out of the room. The chambermaids of the
island, known as “Kellys” and the 8M Feminist Platform of Lanzarote , have both called for zero tolerance against sexual aggressions, as well as more support for victims and a universal protocol for dealing with such situations. They claim the 20-year-old woman wasn’t offered any help or assistance by the hotel management, no doctor was called in and she was in fact told to clean more rooms nearby. Island newspaper lavozdelanzarote.com claims the British man was accused of an
attempted sexual assault. It is not clear which court he appeared in or whether he admitted or denied the allegations as this was never made public. An order was also apparently made for him to not go within 200 metres of the young woman. Diario de Lanzarote says the man was dealt with in a quick trial when the restraining order was imposed, together with a fine. The Insular Association of Hotel and Apartment Businesses of Lanzarote, Asolan, has expressed its rejection of sexual abuse and any behaviour which does not respect professionals who work in the hospitality industry. The hotel in Lanzarote has
not been named. Kellys de Lanzarote and the 8M Feminist Platform say they are willing to “report every case that occurs to raise awareness among the entire population, institutions, large, medium and small companies about the importance of fighting against aggressions towards women.”
customers. “Due to the significant scale of the situation, some disruption is inevitable, but the Civil Aviation Authority will endeavour to get people home as close as possible to their planned dates,” said a spokesman. ATOL Protected passengers with future bookings are entitled to a full refund for their cancelled holiday. Passengers currently overseas may also make claims for the cost of replacing ATOL protected parts of their trip, or for out-of-pocket expenses as a result of delayed flights home. The Civil Aviation Authority will be launching a service to manage all refunds by Monday 30 September, once the flying operation has progressed. This refunds service will seek to process all refunds within 60 days of full information being received. Richard Moriarty, Chief
Executive of the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “News of Thomas Cook’s collapse is deeply saddening for the company’s employees, customers, hoteliers and other suppliers and we appreciate that more than 150,000 people currently abroad will be anxious about how they will now return to the UK.” “The government has asked us to support Thomas Cook customers and we have launched a programme to bring them home, which also includes costs to hotels accommodating Thomas Cook customers under the Air Travel Trust’s ATOL scheme.” Anyone affected by this news can check the CAA’s dedicated website, thomascook.caa.co.uk, for advice and information.