Two associated things happened to me the day after writing our recent front page headline on tourism diversification, and a treetop hotel in Sweden which was given as an example.

Firstly, two separate friends echoed the remarks of relatives who no longer visited them because “they had seen everything on Tenerife and why should they want to come again?”

The second was witnessing a queue of people waiting for a table at a seaside restaurant, nothing posh, just an ordinary establishment overlooking the ocean at Torviscas. Not only that, there were people, and I mean lots of them, walking along the pretty marine walk, enjoying the mid-afternoon sun and the stunning views beyond.

My reaction to the first point was disbelief that anyone could think they have seen the whole of Tenerife. We have lived here for six years and have only scratched the surface of what this lovely island has to offer. The second generated great pleasure. To see Tenerife busy and vibrant again and to encounter at least one business which appears to have got what it offers, including its pricing, just right.

The “New Tourism Project” held at the Magma Centre in Costa Adeje had suggested that innovation in tourism had to be the way forward if holiday destinations wanted to succeed. They also needed to be different and not to follow the norm, hence that treetop hotel. It was also hinted at, though not actually said, that perhaps Tenerife had relied on its old model for 40 years now without change and that was way too long.

“Yes, maybe and no” is my reaction. Yes, innovation in tourism is to be welcome, provided people have the money and the backing to do so. Walking past Puerto Colón harbour, for example, my partner spotted a catamaran once used for pleasure trips, now apparently standing idle and already decaying. Why had no-one moored it in the bay for use as a floating restaurant, he asked. Maybe there is room in Tenerife for a treetop hotel but would it ever get off the ground, if you´ll pardon the pun. It would be a lovely attraction but not the be all and end all for the island.

As to relying on its old tourism model, Tenerife is definitely not guilty. I have lived in and reported on many locations which rely on tourists and, without any political allegiance here whatsoever, Tenerife is one of the most hard-working places ever for promotion.

Five years ago, the tourism model might still have been the sun, sand and sea. Then, however, a deliberate decision was taken to diversify. All sorts of new ideas were added and actively publicized. Walking, hiking, trekking, mountain bike riding, ordinary cycling, sports tourism, kayaking, canoeing, mountain climbing, camping, spa breaks, luxury treats, wine tastings, gastronomy breaks, cultural tourism, horse riding, paragliding, yachting, history, golf, archaeology, the stars....the list goes on.

Just recently, there has been much praise for municipalities like La Laguna and Orotava for using their heritage to attract tourists. More and more, other places in the north of Tenerife are beginning to realise that promoting their special brand of charm, with fiestas, festivals, processions etc can and will bring in the visitors. Slowly, the tide is beginning to turn. Where once the north might have been seen as the poor relation to the south, more and more people are discovering what delights lie at the end of the TF-1, left or right.

The same is happening in Santa Cruz. The new Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez wants the city to be a capital Tenerife can be proud of and is always beginning his efforts. Not surprising that he has a tourism background, having previously been tourism chief for Tenerife Cabildo.

Friends who recently visited Tenerife chose to stay in the north for the first time and were absolutely enchanted by what they found, not least its stunning natural beauty.

Can those people who say they “have seen everything on Tenerife” really hold their hands up and say they have? Have they been to the Roques de García with its strange formations? Have they marvelled at the Anaga mountains or had their breath taken away by the Afur valley? Have they spend the day in Masca or in Teno, visited the island’s award-winning museums, taken the city tour around Santa Cruz, enjoyed an evening at the theatre or the stunning Auditorium with its wave-like roof, wandered around the unspoilt Garachico, discovered hidden bodegas or mountain-top restaurants, trekked through its pine forests, found unspoilt beaches, taken a Landrover tour across rural terrain or stopped off in tiny villages simply to explore?

It should also be said that Tenerife isn’t doing too badly when it comes to reviving its tourism fortunes. Whilst other places continue to suffer, the island’s visitor numbers are on the increase, bucking the trend of mainland Spain and many other holiday destinations around the globe. It was the economic recession which hit Tenerife, not what if offers.

As our tourism chiefs are showing, there is no room to rest on laurels which is why conferences like the New Tourism Project should not be scoffed at. Even one worthwhile idea from a day’s debate might pay dividends. 

The point made here is that Tenerife already has everything on its doorstep and no-one should consider it boring or predictable. The only thing we might be guilty of is failing to promote the island enough from the inside, rather than out. The next time you are here, pledge to get out and about, discover the other side of Tenerife and you will keep on coming back for more year after year.