Marc Hoffmann – Director of Playitas Resort and La Pared Powered by Playitas

“We must promote the sports that are available on the island,in a peaceful environment”

Playitas Resort has a new director, whom we wanted to welcome and meet face to face. His name is Marc Hoffman, he is German but speaks Spanish fluently. He is very experienced in hotel management and will be able to demonstrate it, as he is the director of Playitas Resort and La Pared Powered by Playitas. As it seems a little complicated, this is our first question:

Tell us about your experience in the hotel industry...

This is my twenty-fifth assignment in the hotel industry, in various countries, and I also worked in Ibiza. I have worked in many different destinations within this line of work, as I have worked in every single department, which helps me find faults more easily and solutions adapted to each location. This earns me some respect from employees when they become aware of my experience, which is based on practice and not just theory or a degree. I have lived in numerous countries because my father worked for a big tour-operator, which allowed me to live and discover various cultures from a young age. Furthermore, my mother speaks six languages, including Spanish, which she speaks better than I do.

And what do you think about the island from a tourism point of view?

The main advantage is the value of this destination, but with the changes brought on by Covid, we must update ourselves on some aspects and go back to basics. We are a bit far for German tourists to come and spend a weekend, which is easily done in the Balearic Islands or Greece, where they can travel within a few hours.

On the other hand, it is a bit like living in the Caribbean all year round, with less heat, less humidity and fewer public health risks, within Europe.

Indeed, but the island's highest season is the winter and I would like to find out from a marketing point of view, how the island is promoted, to understand why tourism numbers drop so much, in summer. I believe that we only talk about the beaches, and we must remember that the island has more to offer, so people choose Fuerteventura. In the future, two aspects will be important to attract tourism, safety and sustainability. Safety is important when you are in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

Judging from your experience, what does the island lack to become as attractive as possible, without destroying its tranquillity and serene beauty? Because we often say that it isn't enough to promote its unique, beautiful, and wild beaches, but, in truth, what does it need?

I believe that we need to promote the sports that the island has to offer, in a peaceful environment, and how easy it is to visit other islands, which are so different, with their landscapes, volcanoes, dunes, etc., to find accommodation, the value for money, as well as renting a car at a good price, to be a little adventurous. There are many small solutions that people need to be aware of, and we need to make all European tourists aware of them.