- The property in the GF Hoteles chain plans to reopen in March 2021
- The chair of the Canary Islands-based company, Victoria López, said she “feels abandoned” by the authorities due to the absence of concrete decisions to help to revive the tourism industry.
- GF Hoteles is also postponing the reopening of GF Noelia scheduled for October, but will keep the GF Victoria and GF Isabel hotels open
GF Fañabé, a 4-star property belonging to the GF Hoteles brand, is closing its doors temporarily. The low room occupancy and low rate of reservations due to the effects of COVID-19 led Grupo Fedola to make this decision. The company’s chair, Victoria López, confirmed that this is a necessary measure to maintain the group’s financial status in optimal conditions. The closure is a sad decision because “it means 150 employees will be temporarily laid off and because we feel abandoned by the inaction of the authorities”.
In addition to this closure, the reopening of GF Noelia in Puerto de la Cruz scheduled for October is to be postponed. The chain will keep GF Isabel and GF Victoria open pending the implementation of the long-awaited tourist security corridors on the islands, especially with the UK which is the main source market for Tenerife. This long-established demand in the sector would mean that tests have to be performed in the countries of origin and at the destination.
For López, it’s essential to put these tests into practice. “We’ve been asking for months for decisions to be made that directly affect the tourism sector and time is being wasted. Many companies with Canarian capital cannot wait any longer.” “This is a situation that we cannot afford. We have to take care of ourselves from a health point of view, but let’s not forget that if the islands receive no tourists, we’ll fall directly into poverty,” explains López.
The chair of Grupo Fedola is aware that negotiations are being held between state and local governments with tour operators and various business organisations to find solutions, but at the same time she points out that the results of these negotiations may come too late. Nevertheless, López has certain expectations to known the conclusions of the meeting of EU tourism officials to be held in the next few days.
The chain appreciates the hard work by employees of GF Fañabé and the rest of the hotels that remain open because they have shown themselves capable of staying open and providing the best service in the face of the ‘new normal’. Victoria López is proud of the people who make up a team that has shown professionalism and an ability to adapt to the introduction of demanding safety and disease prevention measures against COVID-19, “always with the genuine smiles and attitude that is the hallmark of the brand,“ adds the business leader.
