SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, May 17. (EUROPE PRESS) –
The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the public company Turismo de Islas Canarias, will promote the circular economy, sustainable mobility and reforestation through the third edition of the ‘Ecoinsulas’ programme, approved at the last Tourism Sector Conference and which is part of the Territorial Plan for Tourism Sustainability of the Canary Islands 2023.
In total, Turismo de Canarias has managed to attract a total investment of 2.6 million euros through this plan from the Secretary of State for Tourism and endowed with Next Generation EU (NG-EU) funds, which will be distributed throughout three annuities and in three specific programs.
Specifically, it is the pilot project for the creation of a circular tourist community on the island of Tenerife (600,000 euros); secondly, the recovery strategy for 120 hectares of laurel and Canarian pine in Valleseco, Gran Canaria (990,000 euros); and, finally, the pedestrianization of the coastline of Los Cancajos beach, in the La Palma municipality of Breña Baja (1,050,000 euros).
According to the justification with which this initiative has been defended before the Ministry of Tourism, the three actions are intended to generate a “clear impact” not only on the day-to-day tourist activity but also on the local population in general, because each of them has been designed to promote an evolution of traditional tourism towards a more comprehensive dimension, capable of generating stable growth in this sector but with greater and more distributed socioeconomic benefits in the territories where they will be implemented, points out the Government in a note.
In parallel, the actions will ensure the conservation and enhancement of the natural resources on which action is taken.
Therefore, throughout this process, Turismo de Canarias seeks to involve the private sector and the resident population, so that the tourist benefits extend to the entire value chain of the archipelago’s economy through the direct participation of other sectors. .
This is the case in the pilot project for public-private collaboration in the field of circular economy in tourism that will be developed in Tenerife, where other sectors such as agriculture and industry will participate, as well as public administrations with powers in The matter.
The objective is to promote the treatment of waste generated in accommodation and non-accommodation establishments by creating a collaborative platform that is intended to be extended to other island environments with a large tourist influx.
Turismo de Canarias will carry out this initiative in coordination with the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro (Ashotel) and the town halls, and the Tenerife Cabildo, companies in the tourism sector and those related to treatment will also participate of waste.
DISSEMINATION CAMPAIGNS
The program will include informative campaigns to encourage participation among establishments on the island and the participation of industrial operators, creating tools that allow collaboration between the tourism and industrial sectors, as well as the contribution of facilities and resources that facilitate selective collection.
In addition, it is intended to increase citizen and tourist awareness in relation to environmental protection, as well as create new jobs in the waste collection and treatment sector, always with the reduction of the environmental impact of tourist activity as end.
The restoration and conservation of natural resources is the objective pursued by the second action of Turismo de Canarias, focused on the recovery of 120 hectares of laurel and Canary pine in the Gran Canaria municipality of Valleseco.
The objective is to rehabilitate an area that was devastated by the great forest fire that took place on the island in 2019, when 9,800 hectares burned over almost 20 days, the vast majority of them in protected natural areas.
This action consists of acquiring a plot that was historically covered with laurel to achieve the repopulation of the ecosystem with sustainability criteria and always with an educational and scientific use to prevent another fire from destroying the entire forest.
With this initiative, in which the Valleseco City Council, neighborhood and environmental associations and farm owners, among other agents involved, will participate, the aim is to recover a laurel forest that will add to the existing redoubts in the municipality, create a specialized nursery and an interpretation center that offers visitors information and guidance.
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN LOS CANCAJOS
In addition, sustainable mobility will focus the intervention on the La Palma municipality of Breña Baja, where the urbanization and pedestrianization of the main access street to the beaches of the tourist area of Los Cancajos will be carried out.
In this way, pedestrians will be prioritized and public space will be revitalized, improving environmental conditions and creating an environment where accessibility is guaranteed and a new space for sustainable mobility.
The City Council of Breña Baja, the Cabildo de La Palma, companies in the tourism sector, the commercial fabric, and associations of the local and insular tourism sector, as well as resident users and tourists, will participate in this initiative.
The purpose of this action is to contribute to the revitalization of commerce and hospitality in the area, creating synergies between restaurants, commerce, leisure and free time companies, among others.
In this way, the offer will be diversified and the creation of new services that combine gastronomy, leisure, sports and culture will be fostered, with which it will be possible to reach different target audiences.
With this strategy, the Ministry will contribute to the deseasonalization of tourism in the area, attracting new visitor profiles and promoting the enjoyment of the island’s own residents.
