The vice president of the Cabildo de Tenerife and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso (PP), stated this Monday in a radio interview that charging for access to the Teide National Park “is an approach that must be seriously evaluated” and that this issue did not seem to him “no nonsense.” Furthermore, he added that this is not a “question of improvisation” but rather a matter of opening a “calm debate”, at the same time that he pointed out that this possibility had to be studied “quickly” so that it could come into force throughout 2024. However, a few hours later, Lope Afonso backed down, stating that what he said was just “a personal opinion, like a hypothetical scenario,” and that it is not on the Cabildo’s “roadmap.”
The Tourism Minister of Tenerife, open to charging for access to Teide: it will be difficult to make “exemptions” for residents
Further
Regarding whether Canarian residents would pay this fee to access the National Park, the vice president stated in the interview that “it is one of the questions that have to be raised,” but that since it is “a fee, a tax figure, it is difficult have exceptions beforehand.” “We would then have to attend to other circumstances that could qualify the use by residents,” he added.
His words about charging Tenerife residents to access Teide have provoked numerous protest messages on social networks.
I think it is good to charge a fee TO NON-RESIDENTS IN THE CANARY ISLANDS. If it’s everyone, they can go to hell. Protect the Teide? OK. Continue bleeding canaries and protecting the guiri? Against
— CCCP_BOT_37B (V 1.3b) (@cppp_bot) September 18, 2023
Because controlling mass tourism or hiring personnel to monitor the Teide are crazy ideas. In other places residents do not pay for their natural parks. And here, knowing the beach bar, someone from Manchester is going to pay the same as someone from the realejos to see Mount Teide.
— Trujillo33 (@_trujillo10_) September 18, 2023
There are many of us…It’s not just for climbing Mount Teide, it’s because it’s our ISLAND, not yours, our heritage…They have no right to charge us for their NECESSITY of years and years, for not providing personnel, to reach this situation . It’s pure MAMANDURRIA, nothing more.
— María Álvarez,🌻🇮🇨🇪🇸 (@Maralva82705178) September 18, 2023
Here we residents pay less money for everything. On Teide you don’t have to pay anything but they should put something for the tourists because just by telling you that at the airport there is a container that is ALWAYS filled with stones that they steal from the ravines…
— 🪸ժׁׅՊáꪀׁׅɑׁׅ֮ꫀׁׅջ🩵🫧 (@coeliachoe) September 18, 2023
The Teide does not belong to the council. The Teide belongs to all the Canarians. If the tourists pay them, it is enough to steal from the Canarians.
— Alex Glez (@AlexGle56967631) September 18, 2023
What you really should do is set or implement an EcoTasa. It doesn’t seem right to me that those of us who are from here have to pay, not only on Teide but in any other place of scenic interest.
— Ventura 🍭 🌈 🦀 🤲 (@vecavi) September 18, 2023
