SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 22nd April – EUROPA PRESS –
Today, Luis Campos, the spokesperson for Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC), along with deputy Yone Caraballo, presented a motion meant to be defended during this week’s plenary session. The motion focuses on addressing tourist overcrowding through measures such as a pause on islands, the introduction of a green tax, and an admission fee for accessing natural areas.
Their proposal also includes a temporary halt on new permits for vacation homes until new legislation is approved, the upgrade of the accommodation infrastructure, decarbonization efforts, digitalization, staff training, and increased wages. Additionally, they suggest revitalizing island and municipal planning and exploring legal avenues to prevent the purchase of properties by foreigners for speculative reasons.
Yone Caraballo praised the residents of Lanzarote for their recent demonstration on Saturday, the 20th, while Luis Campos viewed it as a potent message to those holding political and institutional responsibilities. He singled out the Canarian Government, councils, and local authorities in particular.
Campos emphasised that the events of the 20th are an “opportunity for change” and reiterated his party’s dedication to securing a broad agreement for sustainable tourism, a proposition rejected during the Nationality Debate in March.
“Those who once dismissed our ideas as irrational are now beginning to advocate for many of the measures that Nueva Canarias has championed for years. We have voiced these measures both in opposition and during our time in government,” underlined the parliamentary representative for NC-BC.
He cited an instance when, on the day of a significant protest against the Vilaflor towers in Tenerife, the then Canarian president, Román Rodríguez (NC-BC), decided to halt the project upon realising that governing against the people’s wishes is untenable.
Campos also recalled that, with a significant drop in tourist numbers and a decrease of around 600,000 residents, Román Rodríguez’s administration enforced a tourism freeze. This ultimately led to the formulation of legislation concerning general planning principles and sectoral tourism guidelines, which received unanimous approval in Parliament. Subsequently, 400,000 tourist beds were declassified, including 20,000 in Veneguera.
Caraballo also highlighted the escalating threat to natural areas in Lanzarote due to potential environmental harm. It is crucial to acknowledge that we are nearing the limit of sustainable growth, he stated.
He further praised the success of levies on the island for accessing protected natural areas, affirming it as a model that maintains destination competitiveness.
