SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, September 8 (EUROPA PRESS) –
The island of Tenerife will receive tourism investments worth about 32 million euros until 2025 from the Next Generation funds and the territorial cohesion funds that will serve to requalify degraded and obsolete areas.
This was explained to the media this Friday by the Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jessica De León, after meeting with the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, and the vice president and counselor of Tourism, Lope Afonso.
The counselor highlighted that Tenerife has grown by 12% in the number of visitors so far this year and has 10% more airline seats for the coming months, so a “good winter” is expected.
However, he has indicated that we must continue to focus on quality in the destination, promotion and the opening of new routes, and therefore, he has indicated that “collaboration” with local corporations will be strengthened in order to expedite plans for planning and building tourism infrastructure in destinations that need an “urgent” update.
In this sense, he has said that the Canary Islands “cannot afford” to lose up to eight million euros “due to non-execution of works” given that this leads the islands “to lose competitiveness”, hence demanding “efficient planning” of resources and focus on projects that “are executable.”
Along these lines, it has offered help to councils and town councils to draft projects and have a new “more executive” way of working.
De León also took advantage of the meeting with the media to highlight that the migratory surge that the archipelago is suffering is not affecting tourism.
“We always actively listen to all the parameters that may affect, they give us items and tourism is a very sensitive industry, but immigration is not a concern,” he added.
Dávila has described the meeting with the counselor as “profitable” because tourism is a “strategic” sector for the economic development of the island and the Canary Islands and decisions must be made about “sustainability” and for the future to guarantee its maintenance, and counting on the participation of citizens.
DÁVILA: THE REFORM OF TENERIFE SUR IS “FUNDAMENTAL”
In this sense, he has highlighted that the comprehensive reform of the Tenerife South airport is “fundamental” for economic development, to which are added other investments necessary to promote the development of “obsolete areas that must be renovated” because tourists “no longer demand only Sun and beach”.
Dávila has demanded that tourism development must be done with “care and affection” in a territory that is more than 50% protected natural space and that has now suffered a “first-class environmental catastrophe” with the forest fire that has burned almost 15,000 hectares.
Afonso has commented that Tenerife is a “leading” destination in the Canary Islands and has already “fully” recovered from the pandemic crisis and now it is also about achieving more stability in employment and for tourism to contribute to leaving more wealth.
He has indicated that Tenerife has a “high level of quality” but “not homogeneous” as there are mature areas that need public intervention that is in line with the “effort” made by the private initiative in the accommodation complexes.
The island councilor has also highlighted that the forest fire has not particularly impacted the tourism sector beyond some cancellations during the most intense days since it was possible to send a “clear and clear” message that the island had an “ecological misfortune.” but incomparable to what was experienced in Hawaii, Canada or other areas of the Mediterranean.