A Tale of Three Bus Companies

This post looks at three bus companies which have very similar characteristics, albeit different sizes: each operates as a monopoly on an island and so there is no ‘contamination’ from outside their zones of operations; and the companies in question focus solely on interurban routes and so, in terms of costs per bus-kilometre, we should… Continue reading A Tale of Three Bus Companies

The Rise and Fall of Turkey’s Tourism Market

With Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Turkey’s president, currently doing his best to discourage any positive sentiment towards his country, it’s worth looking at how demand for Turkey’s tourism markets have changed over the years. In this figure, we can see that tourism demand, having grown strongly throughout the recession, had been in gentle decline since 2011 but… Continue reading The Rise and Fall of Turkey’s Tourism Market

Cheapest is Best – Right?

Wrong! It depends entirely what you are selling, with whom you are competing and how you compete. One business I work with makes a virtue of being the most expensive supplier in a highly competitive market. Safety is an important part of this client’s business and, of course, safety comes at a cost. So, this… Continue reading Cheapest is Best – Right?

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Categorised as Economics

InterRent – How Not To Treat Regular Customers

The car rental company InterRent has clearly decided that foreign-based business people with flexible plans are a danger to be avoided and any non-UK resident who tries to book a rental car with this company without proof of an onward ticket will have the reservation cancelled. The right to cancel a rental contract, clearly without… Continue reading InterRent – How Not To Treat Regular Customers

Canarian Air and Ferry Fares – Update

INTER-ISLAND AIR AND FERRY FARES Types of Route Air routes within the Canaries can be classified into three types: Longer routes (> 170km) between Lanzarote and Tenerife/Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura to Gran Canaria and La Palma to Gran Canaria; Shorter routes, including Tenerife to Gran Canaria, La Palma to Tenerife and Fuerteventura to Gran Canaria; and… Continue reading Canarian Air and Ferry Fares – Update

The Obsession with Privatisation – and its Irrelevance

Many political parties are obsessed by the issue of privatisation (either pro or anti), but surely this argument misses the whole point? The arguments involve the extent to which the public retains a stake in decision-making, but, as we shall see, ownership is often an irrelevance. Let us look at two entities, one of which… Continue reading The Obsession with Privatisation – and its Irrelevance

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Categorised as Economics

Economic Health of the Canary Islands in the 21st Century

Introduction This note examines how the Canary Islands (CI) has fared, particularly compared to the rest of Spain, during the 21st century. First we will examine GDP/capita, which provides an overall view of the economic health of the region wealth per person and is a widely accepted measure of whether of how wealthy, on average,… Continue reading Economic Health of the Canary Islands in the 21st Century

British Holidays in the Sun and Sand: 2007-2014

As far as British tourists are concerned, the Canary Islands in general and Lanzarote in particular may be considered a success story! Here, we look at passenger volumes between the UK and resort airports. Therefore, places such as Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, Athens and Istanbul are excluded from these numbers; we only include “resort” airports, which will… Continue reading British Holidays in the Sun and Sand: 2007-2014

Taxis in Lanzarote – Still firmly stuck in the 20th Century?

The Problem  “I would like a taxi to take me from Puerto del Carmen at 6pm and then bring me back at 9pm, please”. This, as are many other similar requests, is impossible under the current regime, which jealously guards municipal boundaries within Lanzarote, and elsewhere in Spain. What are the results of this parochial… Continue reading Taxis in Lanzarote – Still firmly stuck in the 20th Century?