Brits will not be dissuaded from visiting Tenerife this summer by the mystery around, and stuttering search for, teenager Jay Slater, an expert has said.
Regional authorities on the island, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands, off West Africa, are into the eighth day searching for the 19-year-old, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, who vanished without a trace while on holiday last Monday.
He had flown out with friends to attend NRG music festival at Papagayo night club in the tourist hotspot of Playa de las Americas, before heading to the remote Parque Rural de Teno with two Brits he had met.
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Police and specialist dog teams have been scouring the island for him whilst making headlines both at home and in Spain. But despite the media circus and concern around Jay’s disappearance, an expert reckons Brits still won’t think twice about visiting the island for their holidays.
(Image: Getty Images/Lonely Planet Images)
Dimitrios Buhalis from Bournemouth University Business School told the Daily Star that holidaymakers will still be drawn by the islands nightlife and bird-watching.
“Lets hope that he is found safe soon. I know that there is a huge search and rescue operation on the island,” he said.
Asked whether Brits might hold off visiting, Professor Buhalis said “not really”, adding: “Tenerife receives about five million tourists each year, making it very popular island for tourists due to its climate as well as its cultural heritage, diverse nature and tourist attractions including nightlife, walking, and whale-and bird-watching.”
(Image: Stan Kujawa)
Asked what he thinks the response from authorities might be at the end of the search, Professor Buhalis said it’s “not the time to speculate” on an outcome.
He added: “I know that all efforts are focused on finding Jay safe and making sure that he is reunited with friends and family soon.”
Lancashire Police offered to assist Spanish police searching for Jay, but were told that their counterparts in Tenerife felt they had enough resources.
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