Winter – there I’ve said the dreaded word, snow, wind, rain, dark nights, fog, frost. Well that’s one version of winter, but of course, here in Lanzarote and Tenerife, the sunshine life goes on. Now those seeking to escape from the UK winter not so wonderland, have encouragement from the pound, downtrodden but never beaten, the plucky pound is fighting back and stands proudly at around 1.15 euros.

It’s no time for complacency, could do better, that’s the report card on the pound but it is moving in the right direction to assist holiday makers, and given the fantastic beaches, night life and natural wonders, it’s only fair to meet it half way. Across Europe there are signs of the recession coming to an end, and value for money has always been a key driving force with Wimpen Leisure Management. Tenerife and Lanzarote will always be sought after destinations for short and long term visitors, the facilities are in place and the expertise to back them up. now is the perfect time to think about giving the cold winter the cold shoulder.

The Government of the Canaries, together with the Tenerife Tourist Board, hotel association ASHOTEL and the authorities of Adeje and Arona, have set up a committee to fight against the fraudulent activities of Discount Travel Membership Clubs (DTMCs) on the island.

This initiative is a direct result of the conference on the threats posed to tourism resorts by DTMCs organised in May, in which RDO’s Head of Enforcement, Alberto Garcia, called for their eradication. Both RDO and the European Consumer Centre will take an active part in the new committee.

The number of DTMC sales decks in Tenerife has decreased drastically over the past year, thanks to the co-operation of the local authorities, the police and the Enforcement Programme.

DTMCs demand high amounts of money from their clients in return for the promise of huge discounts on future holidays, which often don’t materialise. This kind of fraudulent practice can seriously damage the image of tourist destinations like Tenerife, something the new committee aims to address.

Looks like it’s going to be a hot winter in Lanzarote and Tenerife, and thanks to 39 new Canary Island routes from Ryanair, tourism will be boosted and holiday home owners will find it easier to pop back and forth from the UK and other key parts of Europe.

The winter flights start from October and will be reviewed in March 2010. The new routes split into 8 for Tenerife and 15 for Lanzarote, the Tenerife airports are Barcelona (Girona), Bournemouth, Bristol, Birmingham, Brussels, London – Luton, Madrid and Oporto. For Lanzarote you can add to those, Dublin, Dusseldorf, East Midlands, Frankfurt, Glasgow, Liverpool, London – Stanstead, Madrid and Shannon, but not including Oporto.

The   Ryanair move has been enabled by the AENA, the Spanish airport authority, scrapping airport charges for Spain. It will help to cement the Canary Islands reputation as the place to go for guaranteed winter sunshine.

No matter how comfortable and enjoyable your resort is, you will always feel the pull of the beach. Tenerife and Lanzarote both have a fine selection to choose from, and another clutch of European Union blue flags has just been awarded for cleanliness and quality on many of your favourite bathing places.

In Lanzarote, Playa Blanca has been rewarded, very handy for guests at Las Brasas and Las Casitas resorts. In Tenerife, there is also good news, with Las Vistas beach in Los Cristianos adding to its annual collection of blue flags, very tempting to those staying at Los Claveles. Playa la Arena on the west coast is another beach that is no stranger to these awards, and is just a short stroll from Las Rosas and El Marques.

In total, the Canary Islands have been awarded 38 blue flags this year, a fitting reward for the efforts put in by the local councils. Of course if sea and sand don’t appeal to you, all of our resorts have excellent swimming pools with full services close to hand.

We have now released new rental prices for all of our resorts in Tenerife, Lanzarote and Spain for 2009/2010, including new discounts for owners.  Contact Wimpen Management for more information.

Book your Rental for 2009/2010

How nice to see 4 generations of a family on holiday at the  Las Brisas Gold Crown Resort in Lanzarote. Owner Mrs Joan Deacon, along with her Daughter, Grand Daughter & Great Grand Daughter, recently enjoyed some time at the Resort – now that´s what you call a real family holiday!!!!!

Imagine FREE advertising for Tenerife in countries around the World, every week for most of the year. That’s just one of the windfalls from the success of CD Tenerife, who stand on the verge of a place in Spains top division, La Primera, rubbing shoulders with Barcelona and Real Madrid among others.

Football is a passion in Spain and La Liga is eagerly watch around the World. In the UK it is shown at prime time on a Saturday night, Eurosport spreads the game across our continent, and even the Fox network in the USA subscribe to the games. Every time the networks,the internet and the  written media talk about La Liga, the name of Tenerife will be mentioned next season.

Football mania has gripped Tenerife, the last 2 games should see the vital final point gained, the capital Santa Cruz, home to CD Tenerife has already had a glimpse of the celebrations and more are set to follow over the next few weeks. Carnaval fever allied to football passion means a party that everyone is invited to, it really is sunshine football here in Tenerife.

Italy and mainland Spain have already become popular for short breaks to take in a top game, but in Tenerife the glorious year round climate makes it the best possible option for combining sport with a beach holiday. Not so much Football Coming Home, but Football Coming On Holiday, that’s a winner for everyone.

One of the qualities that draws people back to the Canary Islands, again and again, is the passion and warmth of the people. There is also a great pride in the culture and heritage of the islands, a pride they love to share with those who choose to live among them. Saturday May 30 is the Day of the Canaries, the big national holiday, and we are all invited to join in the celebrations.

From the capitals to the tourism centres and in the small villages, there will be wild displays of colour and music around the main plazas. Tenerife as the biggest island has a particularly busy programme, in the capital Santa Cruz, the new second tram line from La Cuesta to Tincer will be inaugurated. In the evening, down south in Playa de las Americas, there is a musical storm at the football ground, with 14 acts from 8.30pm till well past midnight. The Tiembla Tenerife is one of the few events where you will have to pay, tickets are 30 euros, but it will be some night.

Smaller more intimate events may be more your style, like the gathering of 3 municipal bands at the Cabo Blanco civic centre from 7pm. Traditional Canarian costumes, music and good, especially sardines, will be the fare at street level. Make a point of getting out and enjoying some traditional colour, and remind yourself just why the Canary Islands are your place of choice.

You may have heard of this thing called the recession? Times are tough all around the World, but recent surveys have shown that holidays are still high on people’s priorities. Tenerife’s core attractions of a year round temperate climate, great beaches, stunning views, and a relaxed way of life, will always be there, maybe that’s why one of the biggest travel groups in Germany has forsaken other destinations, to choose Tenerife for their 2009 annual conference.

Lufthansa City Centers have the options of going to Turkey, Monaco, Gran Canaria or Dubai for their November meeting but plumped for Tenerife. The company has 300 offices and will be sending 500 travel agents to see first hand why Tenerife is still a leading player on the tourism market.

Tenerife tourism minister, Jose Manuel Bermudez, put the lure of Tenerife in this case, down to a network of excellent hotels and impressive conference facilities.

Your involvement and feedback is very important to us at Wimpen Leisure Management, so we look forward to seeing you at the AGM meetings for our resorts.  Below are the all important dates for this year, it will be good to see you, it’s a good chance for us all to put faces to familiar names.

• Club Bena Vista -  9th May – PM
• Los Claveles  – 10th May – Time to be confirmed
• Las Rosas – 28th June  -Time to be confirmed
• Sueno Azul – 5th December –  AM
• El Marques – 5th December – PM
• Las Casitas – 6th December – AM
• Las Brisas – 6th December – PM

If you want to read the minutes of the previous AGM, just go to our recently improved main website, where you can download them to read at your leisure.