The President’s message: Quality, efficiency and above all … be friendly! - 24.06.2011

CANARIAN WEEKLY were this week privileged to meet with re-elected Tenerife Cabildo President Ricardo Melchior in the Palacio Insular, in Santa Cruz.

The new mandate began last Friday, with 31 councillors assigned to three political forces: Canarian Coalition (15) Partido Popular (9) and the Socialist Party (7).
For the first time, the council will be made up of 31 councillors for the Island’s 900,000 inhabitants. The population increase in Tenerife has led to the increased political representatives.
So what is the priority for the Santa Cruz-born President over the next four years?
He told Canarian Weekly that his main objective was employment. There are 24% of workers unemployed in Tenerife now because of the economic crisis.
“We want to reduce this to 12%, finding employment for those who are long-term unemployed,” he said. “For example, those who were in the construction industry.”
In addition, the Cabildos wants to motivate the young unemployed, providing them with career prospects, and Melchior added: “We plan to create 60,000 new jobs, in all sectors, including agriculture and roads.
“It won’t be the first time we have done this, because back in 1987, unemployment was at 30%, and six years later it was at 12%.”
That was when Ricardo Melchior was Vice-President of the Cabildo, so he is well aware of the problem and how it can be resolved.
Various initiatives will be used to re-employ those out of work, such as local swimming pools, and increasing the number of socio sanitary beds, (places for those that need help, but not necessarily hospitalisation, like the elderly).
In four years, 17 swimming pools have been built and are now running successfully, funded jointly by the Cabildo and local municipalities, creating sustainable jobs.
Thousands of jobs will be created within the forestry and tourism sectors, and Melchior pledged: “We will do this with high energy and pressure - the Cabildo, municipalities and enterprise. All of us!”
Despite the economic crisis, the Island is developing at a pace. Tenerife currently flies direct to some 145 airports worldwide, and then there’s the port, a possible third runway and NAP connecting West Africa with fibre-glass cables.
This telecommunications project will help connect the world, and those in the under-developed world.
From Lisbon to South Africa there is one cable, and from Lisbon to Lagos there is another one, with connection hubs in Tenerife and Ghana.
Then there will be a cable from Cadiz, plus a cable connecting South Africa, Cape Verde, Canary Islands, Lisbon and beyond.
Eventually, 21 countries in Africa will be connected through Tenerife. In addition, the power of the South America-Tenerife-Lisbon link will be increased.
The President stressed: “This is our most strategic project, and it will all be up and running in the next two years, with 2012 being most important.”
He added: “The Dominican Republic in the Caribbean is a hub, like Tenerife, and their President said it was the most important thing to happen since their independence 160 years ago.
“By the end of September, there will be a fibre-glass ring around the whole of Tenerife. There will be 10 operators, which means that all people will have access to low-priced broadband connection, no matter where they are.
“In relation to tourism, there are massive promotional campaigns, but it is key that while the visitors are here, they enjoy their stay. Customer service is very important and everyone has to ‘be friendly’.
“We’ve had a very positive first five months, with an increase in visitor numbers, over night stays and repeat business.
“Visitors have a loyalty to Tenerife, with 80% of them having been here a minimum of two times before. The best publicity we have is word of mouth.
“Our aim is to surpass the five-million visitor mark, which we hope to achieve. Tourism is very competitive, with globalization. And to compete, we have to provide quality, efficiency and be friendly, in addition to the natural elements of the weather, nature and Teide.
Canarian Weekly broached the subject of “All-Inclusive” holidays, to which the President responded: “We don’t like all-inclusive. We are an island which is all-inclusive, with everything available. Yet 13% of our visitors stay in ‘designated’ all-inclusive resorts.”
The President also touched on transportation, saying:  “This is a key area because here in Tenerife, there are more cars than people.
“Tenerife is working towards a fully-integrated transport system with the South Train, which could be a reality within approximately five years.
“It depends on the prioritisation of the project from the Spanish Government’s perspective.
“Each year in Santa Cruz there are 15 million tram users, and this has lowered congestion by 8-9% within four years.”
With President Melchior’s ambitions still as fresh as they ever were, the future of Tenerife looks to be in safe hands.