Media hype over 'Credit Crunch'
Media hype over 'Global Warming'
Oil prices seeming to be going up by the day
Thomson/First Choice and Mytravel/Thomas Cook mergers, meaning fewer package holidays available
Open Skies making flights to the USA cheaper
Developing destinations attracting more people (i.e. Cape Verde, Egypt, Cuba)

Just a few reasons for the apparent decline in tourism in PDLA. I must say that I too found it extremely quiet when I was there a week ago. I took a stroll through the Fanabe and Playa Pinta areas at around midnight one night, and it was a ghost town. In the centre of town, we played at the Mini Golf twice (once during the day, once in the evening) and saw just one other group playing. With the exception of Linekers, none of the bars we visited at night were anything like full.

On the plus side (if you like...), I did see quite a few Americans in the resort, more than i recall seeing in the past.

Steview wrote:

On the plus side (if you like...), I did see quite a few Americans in the resort

Yes, we had a couple of large-ish groups of American students (all girls) staying up at the Caledonia at Easter. Very loud. My kids spent most of their time taking the mickey out of their accents I wondered how they had ended up there, surely there are no direct flights from the US? They've got Mexico and the Caribbean on their doorstep. Being philosophical about it though, they went out on the town every night and were often seen coming back when we were going for breakfast, so if they're out there spending money, then it's no bad thing.

With respect, debbymark, what we witnessed was not wit or banter, it was a nasty sustained verbal attack on two tourists. If he had poked a little fun at them in a humorous way I would not have mentioned it. He was sarcastic and vindictive toward them and several people in the bar were obviously shocked at his attitude. Nothing can excuse this, he could have had a member of his bar staff quietly point out to them that sitting with an empty glass while watching the act wasn't allowed, but to go on like he did was way over the top and as I said, we will never go there again.

As an afterthought to what I wrote previously, about bar prices being a main deterrent to holidays in Las Americas, I also can think of another offputting feature of this resort, the constant and unfinished roadworks there and at Los Cristianos.
We were in Las Americas a year ago, and work between LA and Adeje was going on then and is still unfinished.
At Los Cristianos, the entire length of the beach at the back still looks like a building site, exactly as it did a year ago. Who wants to sit having a drink at a beachfront cafe and gazing out to sea if the view is through a chain link fence and over a mound of rubble?
If the road outside my house was dug up, and was still like that after a year or more, I would be suing the local council. Los Cristianos businesses must be in despair over this.
I can only contrast this with experiences in Benidorm where similar projects are completed in weeks rather than months or years.
Until the authorities in Tenerife realise that their manyana attitude is damaging their trade there is little hope.

What buggs me in Tenerife is the constant interference from all sides.

On the beach you have the masseures. A novelty at first, gets a bit jarring when you have to say -no thank you-3 times in 5 minutes. It goes on all day every day.
Also on the beach you have the fruit sellers screeching about their products. When some one buys a melon, as it is cut up he is shouting"viagra viagra" First time this happens it is amusing-after a few weeks it is tiresome.

Walk the prom and some p.r. invites you to have a coffee, a beer, a meal. When this happenes every day, every 50 yards, it becomes wearysome. Every time you walk the streets and the prominade, it is never ending. I recently came across a new restaurant and a nice board outside. I stopped to read and very quickly this young man turned up at my elbow and started to go down through the menu for me. I said to him, rather crossley, that I was well able to read. This had no effect and he kept on with his nonsense and I quickly turned on my heel and left. At night time as you pass near Veronicas or similar, you have young folk accosting you to go inside for a free drink etc. I am over 70. Are they brainless?

Scratch cards all over the place-every time I see some fool being told "you have won our star prize", I pity unsuspecting visitors.

Sit down near the sea front in Las Americas, some other idiot comes over with a parrot and a camera. Why do restaurants allow it?

A night time you have Chinese ladies and men with stupid flashing lights attending the tables trying to sell rubbish or flowers.

Looky looky men I find are not too much in your face-the best of a bad lot.

Stop at a shop window and the clown behind the counter is at your side in a flash carrying on a diatribe about his products.

I must confess that for some time now I have not come across the man, who is deaf, selling his rubbish for a consideration.

I go back to Tenerife beacause I own timeshare there. If I did not, I would never return.

Is Tenerife a third world country?

Regards,

Billyboy.

billyboy321 - Anyone who has ever been to Tenerife will be able to relate to exactly what you are talking about. Aside the discussion on ever-increasing prices, you just reminded me how irritating these things can be

Billyboy. You would find it even quieter if these people didn't come and greet you. Chill-out and enjoy your time in Tenerife. That goes for all who are waiting to go. Have a great time.

Hmm like yourselves I have noticed PDLA a lot quieter and I think the reason is, as another poster said, the huge variety of places to go these days............I mean 20 years ago you wouldnt have gone to China/Cuba or even Mexico routinely on holiday, but these destinations and loads of others are opening up and becoming common place. So you get the folk who would have gone to Tenerife/Majorca/Mainland Spain and the like in the 70s, 80s and 90s starting to branch out to pastures new.............and young folk are also looking for more exotic locations these days.

Now that doesnt mean I dont love the place because I do, and for winter holidays I wont stop going. Ive been reading about the prices of drinks etc and have to say I dont mind paying a bit more in a bar that has entertainment on...........Legends for example, I really thought Billy Idol was brilliant and he has to be paid doesnt he!

The thing that REALLY piddles me off is in a restaurant or bar when you ask for a Smirnoff vodka (and I always say Smirnoff or they give you that stuff that cleans out pipes)..............and even then quite often they bring something (usually called Tossoff or Orlaff or worse)................and before you even sip it you know it cost about 3 Euros a bottle...............you sigh, call the waiter, tell him you want Smirnoff or similar..............he glares at you as if you are telling fibs but eventually brings you a "proper" drink!!!

Now its a daft little thing and it wouldnt put me off going - but when you have to do it in nearly every restaurant you go into it gets terribly tiresome!

I actually dont mind the Looky looky men/beach people - however the timeshare folk are still extremely irritating - all very well to say smile and walk on or ignore them - but last year they followed us and when they realised we werent biting they started making fun of our accents and being generally quite aggressive..................not nice to listen to on holiday........... I used to cringe when I was approaching them.........

Sounds like Im doing a lot of complaining but I really do love the place!

Thats a very good point about the roadworks, it is about time that they were sorted out, they are very off putting and uncomfortable particularly for tourists with walking difficulties.

With regard to the prices, if a round is working out the same price as the UK than thats just not right. It is very irritating to be sold a bottle of wine in a bar or restaurant for ten euro or more and then see it in the supermarket in the resort for less than 2. It has happned to me!! And I know for sure that where I come from (Ireland) you would barely get a coke for 2 euro in a supermarket let alone a bottle of wine. This means the mark ups are colossal in these bar. I dont mind paying a bit for entertainment but I dont like feeling ripped off and it is discouraging.

I am sorry that people are moving away from Tenerife because I would hate it to lose its charm.

Sun Worshipper,
I have just been to Aldi and they are selling 2 litres of Coca Cola for €1-99.

While in Tenerife recently A group of 4 of us, after dinner, went into a nice sea front bar, near Veronicas and had a drink each. The bill was almost €18-00. I had a Zambuca-all ice and very little alcohol. We did not go back-very bad value, when you see the price in the shops.

I think to get a drink where you have just had a meal is a good idea,

Regards,

Billyboy.

Actually billyboy when we were in PDLA in April I noticed that shopkeepers seemed much less eager to drag you in if you stopped to look in their windows than I previously remembered, and I felt quite relieved that they had finally got the message that tourists hate this kind of hassle.

As for people outside restaurants trying to drag you in, there were a few but again less than I remember seeing on previous holidays. Could be that businesses can no longer afford to employ them with visitor numbers down so much.

The reason you are seeing fewer PR's outside restaurants is because they have started fining both the PR's and the restaurants quite large sums if they are caught touting for business away from the premises. I know this because a friend of ours owns a restaurant in Los Cristianos and had to let her PR go because of it.

As for the 'roadworks' along the front in Los Cristianos, they have actually been widening the promenade and I have just walked along there this morning and it is very close to completion. It's going to be a great improvement when they open it up again.

April, May & June is traditionally the quiet period in Tenerife.