84% of tourist beds were filled in Lanzarote hotels and apartment complexes last month, according to the latest figures just released by ASOLAN. A figure that is up by 5.57% versus August 2009 but still 2.42% shy of August 2008 levels.
The statistics suggest that tourism on Lanzarote has achieved better results this year following two years of crisis. During August, Lanzarote saw an average occupancy level of 84% in hotels, whilst aparthotels recorded around 90% occupancy.
The monthly statistics compiled by ASOLAN, the island´s Association of Hoteliers, also reveal that 4 star hotels had on average 87.53% of their rooms filled last month, followed by apartment complexes at 79.91%. And the six five star hotels on the island registered an average occupany level of 75.53% during August.
Aparthotels performed best, with 90.89% of their beds filled, whilst bungalows recorded occupancy of 73.01%. The average level of accommodation filled across the sector was 83.71%.
The president of ASOLAN, Susana Perez, stated that there has been a light recovery of tourism on the island, in part the result of a range of promotions that have stimulated demand for accommodation even whilst the national economy is still recovering from the effects of the crisis.
August is always the month when families in Spain take their main holiday, with Lanzarote being identified as one of the preferred destinations for tourists from the mainland, according to the Federation of Spanish Travel Agents (FEAAV). Whilst arrivals from the key market of the UK also rose during July.
However when viewed in historical context occupancy levels on Lanzarote have been steadily declining ever since the high water mark years of the early 1990´s. When annual averages reached as high as 89.2% in 1994. A figure that has pretty much fallen year on year ever since. With 2009 the worst year on record at 65%. As the figures from ASOLAN below indicate.
Year :: %
1994 :: 89.2
1995 :: 88.5
1996 :: 88.5
1997 :: 84.5
1998 :: 88.5
1999 :: 89.0
2000 :: 84.3
2001 :: 83.4
2002 :: 80.2
2003 :: 79.0
2004 :: 74.5
2005 :: 75.8
2006 :: 74.5
2007 :: 74.8
2008 :: 73.0
2009 :: 65.0
