IN FOCUS MADEIRA THE FRIENDLY ISLE
‘One of the world’s most beautiful islands’ may well be a hackneyed phrase but there’s no better way of summing up Madeira’s enduring appeal, says Roger St Pierre
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Portugal, this island paradise was an early entrant in the tourism industry. A sub-tropical gem set athwart the Gulf Stream, it has a sublime climate with heat tempered by cooling sea breezes. Moreover, Brits are and always have been made especially welcome, which helps to make Madeira a real hassle-free destination. Taking the iconic toboggan ride down the giddyingly steep streets of Funchal; paragliding off Europe’s tallest cliffs;
T
hrough the popularity of Malmsey and Madeira’s other wines, plus it being part of
admiring the fl ower displays; walking the hills; watching cruise ships arrive or enjoying top-class shopping and downtown entertainment, Madeira has shaken off its fuddy-duddy image and expanded its offer to an ever wider audience. And with an array of direct fl ights, access is now easy: airlines with UK services include EasyJet, Jet 2, TAP, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfl y, serving some nine British airports. Sales did dip last year but that has resulted in keener pricing and agents have the ability to create their own tailor-made dynamic packages, combining low-cost fl ights with a wide range of excellent hotels.
Madeira also features prominently in an increasing range of cruise itineraries. In the fi rst half of 2012 Funchal's
harbour had 184 cruise ship calls, a fi ve per cent growth, and welcomed 303,615 passengers, 14,300 more than the same period in 2011.
Madeira What’s New Madeira has been nominated in
nine categories of the World Travel Awards, the industry’s self-appointed Oscars. Monarch’s new fl ight schedule into the island and a slate of hotel refurbishments and upgrades are providing new-to-the-destination operators like Anatolian Sky – and its agents – an even wider choice.
tourismtalk Katia Carvalho, Madeira
Promotion Bureau
Top: Madeira windmills; Porto Santo's nine-kilometre beach; traditional skills; Golf in Madeira
“Ease of access is one of the keys to our appeal and
that will be enhanced by Monarch’s launch of new
London-Gatwick and Birmingham fl ights in late October.
“The eurozone crisis hit us badly, with a 25% drop in
our June arrivals fi gure over the previous year, but we remain optimistic that the UK – our main market – will start to pick up, especially as we offer a premium product at affordable prices. “We are currently collaborating with various tour operators and airlines on a branding campaign across on-line, press and road-show applications across the UK.
"Our autumn web campaign will include search engine advertising and display ads on the Google network and a display advertising approach linked to a new dedicated microsite on Trip Advisor UK.”
22 September/October 2012 •
www.sellinglonghaul.com
thedeal More choice…
seal
“With the arrival of more operators new to the
destination agents have more scope to sell this lush island" a
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