Canaries News

Playa Meloneras in Gran Canaria re-opens

Canaries News — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 08:15:26 +0000

The Meloneras beach (Playa Meloneras) in the south of Gran Canaria has re-opened after works have been carried out to remove the stones and rocks that were preventing access to the marina and the use of the beach and more sand has been deposited on the beach. Clean up tasks were carried out during four full days of work managed by the Urbaser, responsible for municipal cleaning service and maintenance of the beaches of the municipality. “With this action we have recovered a much needed beach for the tourism and especially for the local population, which has been virtually unusable for more than two years by a large pebble barrier that prevented users from accessing the sea” said the Mayor, José Carlos Alamo.

The mayor is aware of the existence of other important projects of improvement for this beach, which is currently stalled due to the lack of budget. “The desire of the municipal government is that these initiatives can begin as soon as possible, because not only will they result in a substantial improvement in Meloneras and its environment, but it will also improve the overall tourist image of the municipality,” said Jose Carlos Alamo.

4 Canary Island hotels in World Top 100
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on February 3, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Spains unemployment tops 5 million

Canaries News — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:15:03 +0000

The number of unemployed people in Spain rose by 577,000 in 2011, reaching 5,273,600 the highest level (of unemployed people) ever recorded in Spain. This figure represents 22.85% of the workforce. During 2011, the number of people who lost their jobs increased by 12.29%, while 600,600 jobs were destroyed, representing a fall in employment of 3.26%. In the fourth quarter alone, job losses hit 348,700 to bring the total number of employed people at the end of 2011 to 17,807,500.

In these last three months of the year, unemployment increased by 295,300 people and the number of households with all members in unemployment was 1,575,000 which is 149,800 more than in the previous quarter, while those in which all members are employed fell by at 212,300, to 8,846,100.

For the full year, the male unemployment rose by 294,800 people (an increase of 11.58%) and for women, an increase of 282,200 (13.12% more).

Unemployment among foreigners also in Spain also saw an increase of 71,500 people, bringing the total number of unemployed foreigners to 1,225,800 which equals 34.82% of all foreigners living in Spain.

Unemployment tops 4.000.000 in Spain
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on February 2, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Unemployment reached 30.93% in Canaries in 2011

Canaries News — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:15:51 +0000

The number of people who were unemployed in the Canary Islands last year increased by 27,500 people, an increase of 8.75%, reaching a total of 341,900 people without work which represents a 30.93% of the regional workforce, according to data released by the National Institute Statistics (INE).

According to the ‘Encuesta de Población Activa’ (Labour Force Survey) the Canary Islands is ranked, for the fourth quarter of 2011, as the second region with more unemployment in Spain, behind Andalucia (31.23%), which is eight points above the national average of 22.85%.

Last year 7,600 jobs were destroyed while the active population increased by 19,900 people, resulting in an increase in unemployment of 27,500 people when compared to 2010.

Unemployment in Canaries reaches 28.67%
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on February 1, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Jellyfish invade the Canary Islands beaches

Canaries News — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:42:41 +0000

Over 100 kilos of jellyfish have been washed up on the shores on Playa del Ingles in Gran Canaria and eleven people have had to seek medical treatment after being stung by jellyfish on the “Playa Honda, Los Cristianos, Las Vistas y El Camisón” beaches of the south of Tenerife (where a yellow flag has been erected to warn visitors to the beach of the presence of these creatures).
Meanwhile in Gran Canaria, only one person has been stung so far. The type of jellyfish found on the beaches of the south of Tenerife are “Pelagia Noctiluca” with tentacles that can exceed 1 meter long. They are common throughout the Canaries and may appear at certain times of year, though experts have quoted “From now on will have to live with the jellyfish, due to the changes that the marine ecosystem are suffering”. The sensation, if stung by one of these creatures is “a pain and a burning sensation, although this is temporary.”
In Fuerteventura, the municipality of Puerto del Rosario ordered the closure of its main beach, Playa Blanca, due the presence of numerous jellyfish. Municipal employees put up signs in several languages warning of the danger.

Comments

February 1, 2012, Alex Bramwell writes: These little pests turn up sometimes during the winter. Some years we get just the odd one: This year there have been quite a few. The sting is a like nettle-rash and fades in 24 hours. The ones to avoid are blue with a gas-filled bubble and long blue tentacles. They are called Portuguese Man o'War or Bluebottles, and give a nasty sting. Again the wash ashore sometimes, normally after storms. The folk cure for jellyfish stings is lemon juice or vinegar, which stops any more stings from working because it is acid. Most lifeguards in the Canaries have jellyfish cream and fly a yellow, triangular flag if they are in the water. Most people who swim in the Canary Islands won't even see a jellyfish, let alone be stung by one!

Lanzarote close beaches again due to ‘massive jellyfish’
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 14:42 on January 31, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Puerto de la Cruz International Carnival

lagenda — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:15:24 +0000

Puerto de la Cruz International Carnival is one of the most traditional event in Tenerife. The Starting Parade, Election of the Queen, Apotheosis Parade (Coso), open air balls and Burning of the Sardine are the main events with traditional celebrations such as ‘Matar la Culebra’ (Killing the Snake) an ancient…

Source: webtenerife.com

Murgas Contest in Puerto de La Cruz, Tenerife
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 31, 2012 by lagenda.
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Ryanair threatens to cut flights if air tax benefits stop

Canaries News — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:15:29 +0000

The airline company Ryanair is contemplating eliminating some of its routes to the Canary Islands in the event that the bonuses it receives disappear which is being proposed by the Minister of Energy, Industry and Tourism, José Manuel Soria. The Head of Marketing and Sales for Ryanair in Spain, Luis Fernandez, said yesterday that the company has not yet made a decision in the short term, but acknowledged that the Canary Islands, without these bonuses, he went on to say that “The Canary Islands are not competitive. There are many destinations in Europe for us, as an airline, which are much more attractive, Malta, Cyprus or Southern Italy, where airports have operating costs which are much lower. The islands airports are very expensive”. Mr. Fernandez insisted that Ryanair does not yet have a definitive view on this, but still expects that both the central and the regional government to reconsider and said that “lower costs operation of airports canaries that is, after all, what we want and what we will continue to maintain our operations with the Canaries normally and requested that the government “consider the good results in tourism last year before making a decision”.

New non-smoking law comes into effect 2nd Jan 2011
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 30, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Spainair flights grounded as the airline company closes

Canaries News — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 13:27:46 +0000

Update : AENA has received over 2.000 claims against Spanair by passengers who have been affected by the recent closure of the airline company on Friday night. Spanair was due to fly around 23.000 passengers this weekend and the majority have either had to find alternative flights or are still waiting at airports. 222 flights were cancelled on Sunday (29th January) and 267 more were due to fly today (Monday 30th January).

Update : The government threatens to fine Spanair €9 million. Spanair could have committed two violations considered “very serious” in air safety law, punishable with a fine of up to €4.5 million each, plus the withdrawal of the license to operate, said a minister in a press conference. The first offense referred to in Article 37.3 of Law 21/2003 on aviation security which establishes the obligation to ensure continuity in service delivery. As for the second offence is a violation of Article 3721 of the Law 21/2003 on aviation security which establishes the obligation to carry out the activities with respect to the ‘rights of passengers’ which are regulated by EU regulation.

Update : 140 Spananir workers are affected in the Canaries after the collapse of Spanair.

Update : Around 1.400 people will have been affected today in the Canary Islands due to these issues. There is a help line which has been setup, the number is 900 131415. Eleven Spanair flights were due to leave from the Canary Islands today, one from Tenerife South, three from Tenerife North, two from Lanzarote and five from Gran Canaria, one of which is a charter flight to Norway. In a statement, the Canary Islands Government says that since yesterday afternoon it is in contact with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation and AENA to track the incidence of closure of Spanair. The Spanair website www.spanair.com appears to not be working

Spanair has confirmed the suspension of operations yesterday evening after a deal with Qatar broke down. All their flights have been cancelled and it is also expected to present bankruptcy proceedings next week. All that is left of Spanair at the airport of El Prat in Barcelona are ‘Cancelled’ signs on the departures and arrivals screens. Even their desks have gone. The only Spanair staff are on the sales desk and are refusing to discuss the issue and are limited to pointing all affected travellers (estimated to be over 22.000 this weekend alone), to the Newco sales desk for more information.

Air traffic controllers face jail term
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 13:27 on January 28, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Gran Canaria tourism increased by 13.75% during 2011

Canaries News — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:15:28 +0000

The island of Gran Canaria saw a 13% increase in tourists last year (2011) with a total of 3.3 million people visiting the island according to data provided by the statistical authorities of the Canary Islands and Frontur Index. While Nationally, the increase in tourism in Spain was 7.6%, in the whole of the Canary Islands this figure is higher at 13.1% and on the island of Gran Canaria the increase rises to 13.75% with a total number of tourists of 3.305,883. This means that the island has gained 400,000 tourists when compared to figures from 2010. As to the nationality, the figures are as follows: Germany (+5.93%), Belgium (+2,15%), France (+44,93%), Holand (+33%), Ireland (+17,29%), Italy (+35,32%), UK (+8,48%), Denmark (+9,17%), Finland (+13,91%), Norway (+21.04%), Poland (+94,55%), Sweden (+27,84%) and Switzerland (+39,75%).

Gran Canaria tourism rises 6.24% in 2010
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 27, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Over 67,000 cruise ship tourists for Tenerife during February 2012

Canaries News — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:15:40 +0000

The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has today announced that during the month of February (2012) it is expecting over more than 87,000 visitors who will arrive in 29 cruise ships which will be calling at the capital of Tenerifes harbour. Of the total amount, 67,670 will be tourists and 19,745 people will be the cruise ships crew. The ships expected are “Independence of the Seas, Oceana, Mein Schiff1, MSC Fantasia and Costa Serena, in addition to Thomson Destiny, AidaSol and La Belle de l’Adriatique”. The report has also highlighted that specifically, on Sunday the 26th February, in one day alone, the capital will see the arrival of 7,000 people.

tenerife harbour cruise ship

5 cruise ships bring over 17.000 tourists to Tenerife this week
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 26, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Canaries News launch Android App

Canaries News — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:15:26 +0000

We are pleased to announce that we have launched an App on the Android market that will allow you to get all the latest news from the Canary Islands while you are on the move. Our App will give you the same news content as our full website and will update itself twice a day checking for new content. Canaries News has grown from strength to strength since its creation and we saw a massive increase in traffic in 2010 especially with our coverage of the El Hierro volcano eruption.

We are now adding to our portfolio by launching our App for the Android market. The App is available by searching for ‘Canaries News’ on the Android market or by clicking on the following link on your Android mobile phone or other Android device.

Direct Link for download : market://details?id=com.canaries.media

We will be adding to our online presence by launching a Apple Iphone App by the end of next month. This will allow Apple users (Mac, Iphone & Ipad) to view our website on the move.

We would like you to download and install our App and let us know what you think, we would value your feedback. Let us know at news@canariesnews.com

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our subscribers and readers for their continued support.

Thanks!

Ryanair pulls out of creating base in Fuerteventura
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 25, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Maspalomas to host ‘World Tourism Day’

Canaries News — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:10:37 +0000

Maspalomas (in the South of Gran Canaria) has been chosen by the World Tourism Organisation as the venue for the celebration of World Tourism Day on the 27th of September 2012. The president of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, José Miguel Bravo de Laguna, and the mayor of San Bartolome de Tirajana, Aurelio Perez, made the announcement yesterday morning. It is the first time that Spain will have hosted the celebration of World Tourism Day. Mr. Bravo de Laguna stressed that this celebration will “enable Maspalomas to be known in all corners of the planet”. The celebration of World Tourism Day will coincide with both the 50th anniversary of the creation of Maspalomas Costa Canaria as well as the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the councils.

Kitesurf World Championships in El Médano – Tenerife
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 15:10 on January 24, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Gran Canaria to turn tourists away next winter season

Canaries News — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:15:40 +0000

The growing demand for bookings for the Canary Islands for the rest of this years winter season is causing a flurry of bookings for next years winter season, which has so far seen an increase of around 10%. The Nordic tour operators are unable to find available rooms in Gran Canaria for 2012/2013 winter season according to sources at this years FITUR trade fair in Madrid.

Employers acknowledged yesterday at the International Tourism Fair (Fitur) that Scandinavian tour operators that have been looking for rooms in the Canary Islands, specifically Gran Canaria, have been unable to make any bookings due to the strong growth in demand which has forced accommodation providers to reject offers, some at very good prices.

Thomson & Monarch to increase seats for winter 2011 season
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 08:15 on January 23, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Bruce Springsteen concert announced for Gran Canaria

Canaries News — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 09:05:29 +0000

Update : There is now doubt that the Bruce Springsteen concert will go ahead, according to sources close to the Gran Canaria council. The tickets were due to go on sale tomorrow (1st February) but there appears to be confusion over the confirmation of the concert and the date set (15th May) has not appeared on the singers official website. The president of the council announced the date 10 days ago at the FITUR trade fair along with the private promotors on the island. Bruce Springsteens official tour organisers have announced that while they continue to be in negotiation, the concert has NOT yet been confirmed to go ahead.

Update : 46,000 tickets for the Bruce Springsteen concert in the capital of Gran Canaria will go on sale from 1st February 2012 at a price of between €60 and €70. It is the biggest music concert to be held in the Canary Islands. It has been confirmed to be taking plaec on the 15th May.

Today, Thursday 19th January 2012, at a press conference at the International Tourism Fair of Madrid (Fitur) it will be announced that on May 15th 2012, Gran Canaria will receive a visit from one of the most important icons of rock music, Bruce Springsteen. Although there is no official confirmation yet, the president of the Cabildo, José Miguel Bravo de Laguna, will appear next to the director of the company LM Productions, Leopoldo Mansito and the Councillor for Tourism and the Municipality of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Paul Barber, to give all the details of what will be the most important musical event of the year on the Island.

The initial idea of the organisers is to fill the enclosure of Siete Palmas in Gran Canaria and it plans to offer tickets at ‘affordable prices’ ranging from €60 to €70, plus passes to special areas which will have a higher cost. Until now, Bruce Springsteen and the ‘E Street Band’ have confirmed five official concerts in Spain between May and June, in addition to the one in the Canary Islands, the World Tour will open at the stadium of La Cartuja in Seville on May 13, travel to Gran Canaria for the 15th, 17th and 18th he will play in Barcelona, June 2nd in San Sebastian and finally in Madrid on June 17th.

Bruce Springsteen

Comments

January 19, 2012, Bruce Springsteen concert announced for Gran Canaria | Canaries … | NationalEvents writes: [...] [...]
January 21, 2012, helen writes: Awsome seen the Boss many times uk and Europe .Great news for the Canaries
January 21, 2012, stefan writes: Fantastic !! The Boss is awesome, great intens shows that change people's life's. Go and see him if you can.

Sting concert in Gran Canaria
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 09:05 on January 19, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Air passenger travel increases in the Canaries

Canaries News — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:27:31 +0000

There has been a significant increase in the amount of air travel in the Canary Islands with the Gran Canaria airport beating its records with 10.5 million passengers (an increase of 11.1%) during the 2011 period and positioning itself in 5th place in Spain, according to figures release by AENA. The airport of Fuerteventura saw a rise of 18.6% handling 4.9 million passengers as did Tenerife Souths Reina Sofia airport, with 8.6 million passengers (17.6% increase). Lanzarote also saw its air passenger numbers increase by 12.3%.

Nationally, the AENA airports received more than 204 million passengers in 2011, representing a 6% increase over the previous year, the second highest in history after the record of 210 million in 2007. This is the third consecutive year of increases in the total number of passengers over the network (over 187 million in 2009 and 192 million in 2010). Apart from increases in the Canary Island airports, there were other well performing airports such as Barcelona-El Prat, which has broken its record with 34.3 million passengers. There were also record numbers in Alicante (9.9 million), Ibiza (5.6 million), Seville (4.9 million) and Santander (1.1 million). Of the total of 204.3 million passengers which used the airports during 2011, 203.2 million were commercial flights (+6%) and of these, 76.2 million were domestic flights ( -0.6%) and 127 million international flights (+10.4%).

The Madrid-Barajas Airport holds the passenger record over the whole of the AENA network, with 49.6 million (-0.4%), followed by Barcelona airport with 34.3 million passengers (+17, 8%), Palma de Mallorca with 22.7 million (+7.6%), Malaga, Costa del Sol with 12.8 million (+6.3%), Gran Canaria, with 10.5 million (+11.1%), Alicante with 9.9 million (+5.7%) and Tenerife South with 8.6 million (+17.6%).

Reina Sofia recieves passenger number 200.000.000
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 09:27 on January 12, 2012 by Canaries News.
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Canary Islands 2012 Fitur stand to cost €711,000

Canaries News — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:39:57 +0000

The Canary Islands government has allocated €711,000 for this years stand at Fitur, one of the largest International Trade Fair in the world, to be held in Madrid from 18th to 22nd of January. Specifically, the assembly of the structure will cost €466,000, while the price of space will cost €245,000. This years budget is similar to that of 2010. The stand will occupy an area of 1,825 square meters and is the same that is used already in the World Travel Market (WTM) in London and is also used in the Berlin Fair. The main objective is to restore ‘national tourism’, which fell 10% in 2011 over the previous year, according to provisional data provided. In its attempt to ‘stand out’, the stand will have, among other technology, four multi-touch screens to view photos, videos and documents and a ‘Kinect’ system, capable of detecting movements of people.

Fitur Stand 2012

Canaries at Fitur 2011
Copyright © 2012. Canaries News. This article was posted at 10:39 on January 11, 2012 by Canaries News.
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