Over the past few months, in the conversations of the residents of Tenerife, there are several words that, if not all, most of them have been repeated many times: ecotax, tourist pause, La Tejita… All these terms were discussed by the president of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila, in an interview for the Canary Islands Television News.
The president of the highest political body on the Island did not avoid any of the topics she was questioned about. The nationalist was direct and, among other issues, she had words about the stance of the mayor of Granadilla towards both the president and Fernando Clavijo, about the possible hotel that will be located in Las Teresitas, and about the tourist model prevailing in our archipelago.
Below is a breakdown of the intervention that Rosa Dávila had on the regional network:
- Ecotax to access protected natural areas of Tenerife
The president of the Tenerife Island Council confirmed that “the approach is the same, to be in force by January 1, 2025,” despite postponing the final decision until September. This is because, as Rosa Dávila explains, “it is important to have participation from the different economic and social organizations, stakeholders, and especially experts to indicate the best way to implement the ecotax in the protected natural areas of Tenerife.”
Its implementation does not happen overnight. It has “mechanisms” that involve a process and, most importantly, regulations that the nationalist says “must be done within this time frame.” Always focused on it coming into force on the first day of the next year. This ecotax was decided, as Dávila recalls, with the support of all parties in the Plenary except for VOX. All residents of Tenerife will be exempt from paying this fee.
- Mayor of Granadilla’s Stand and La Tejita Hotel
In early May, the mayor of Granadilla de Abona, Jennifer Miranda, stood up Rosa Dávila and Fernando Clavijo in a meeting regarding the future La Tejita hotel. The president of the Council explained what happened and continues to support the municipality: “I have not had the opportunity to speak with her. The mayor sent a letter to both the President of the Canary Islands Government and the Secretary of State for the Environment, and me requesting that meeting. Then, we found out through the media the day before that she was not going to attend the meeting to try to save La Tejita, a place with great symbolic importance. We remain open to having that meeting and continuing to collaborate with the municipality.”
The acquisition of the La Tejita hotel is valued at around 20 million Euros, and Rosa Dávila stated, “without a doubt, we would allocate the resources that we believe we can, as has been expressed by the President of the Canary Islands Government.” However, the first steps must be taken by the Granadilla City Council since “it is planned in their zoning for that property and they must negotiate with the other party, the ownership, of that plot.” The goal? “To expand the framework of protection to that La Tejita area and naturalize the zone.”
Despite this, the plot could change in value after the positive rulings it has received, as the president pointed out, calling the speculation about how much the Council could contribute to the purchase of the lands as “hasty.” Additionally, she reaffirmed the support of the political organization she heads in order to “rescue that plot that is adjacent to a protected natural area.”
Asked whether the origin of that money would come from the budget for the Motor Racing Circuit, Dávila recalls that this decision falls under the jurisdiction of the Council and the Ministry of Finance. She also asserts that her institution has sufficient resources to be able to meet the acquisition of this plot, just like the Granadilla City Council. According to the president, Granadilla “has a substantial amount in treasury surplus, exceeding 60 million Euros, which means the municipality itself could also undertake the purchase.”
- Las Teresitas Hotel, Tourist Model, and Pause
Dávila describes the project of a hotel in Las Teresitas as “premature,” but compares two of the existing models on the Island: “The tourist model in the south of Tenerife has nothing to do with the model of urban hotels in the capital. Therefore, it seems that it is planned in all parts related to planning, and it is up to the Santa Cruz City Council to make that evaluation.”
Regarding tourist moratorium, Rosa Dávila mentioned in the previous Conference of Presidents convened by Fernando Clavijo, where this was one of the topics to be discussed: “We have the experience of what happened with the tourist moratorium, but there are mechanisms that involve the application of the Land Law”.
This law stipulates that any developable land without activity in the last five years can be reclassified as rustic without any compensation to its owner. The president points out that “municipalities can, at this time, reclassify land in favour of protection and reclassify them as rustic”. Furthermore, she notes that this would allow the recovery of “considerable land linked to the coast”.
The president of the Council advocates for the renovation of tourist complexes, rather than continuing to build new hotels: “We are working on sustainable tourism and it is essential not to talk about growth, but to talk about tourist development, about a tourist model that is in line with the needs of the population”.
Rosa Dávila did not hide that, despite the number of unemployed being at its lowest since 2008, this does not align with the quality of life of the people in Tenerife. This is because working conditions do not allow Tenerife residents to cope with their daily lives in the most basic areas, such as being able to access housing. The president argues that “it is very important for the economic model to be one that meets the needs of the population and the people living here on the island of Tenerife”.
- Enhanced security measures in protected natural areas with high visitor traffic
Lastly, Rosa Dávila was questioned about the plan implemented during the May bank holiday in protected natural areas. With the idea of controlling vehicle access to these areas, the president highlighted that “the collaboration between Canarian Police, Local Police, and Civil Guard on high traffic days has worked very well”.
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She highlighted “mobility” as one of the main problems in these areas, and they are still “seeking solutions for greater control and surveillance” both in Anaga and Teno, and the National Park of Teide.
