The secretary general of the Labour Party in Tenerife, Pedro Martín, is requesting the president of the Tenerife Island Council, Rosa Dávila, to provide clarification on whether she intends to uphold the agreement made by the Government Council on July 3, which includes charging Tenerife residents for access to the Masca gorge in the Teno Rural Park, while rejecting a proposal for an environmental tax that would only apply to non-resident tourists per night.
Rosa Dávila has announced the implementation of this measure, stating that residents will be exempt from payment. However, the agreement reached by the island government specifies that Canarian residents, including those from Tenerife, will be required to pay three Euros upon entry. This essentially penalizes residents of Tenerife for visiting their own natural spaces while refusing to support the implementation of an eco-tax for tourists from outside the islands,” she explained.
Pedro Martín highlights that “this is the only new aspect introduced by Rosa Dávila in the access to the Masca gorge”, which was reopened during her tenure as president. “Upon taking office at the Island Council, we found the gorge closed to the public and had to carry out improvement works on the natural site. We established the visitor centre, initiated guided tours, and undertook work on the new pier. The only novel aspect is the president’s intention to charge Tenerife residents for entry,” he emphasized. “We have requested clarification from her. Although she stated that residents would not be charged, as per the Government Council agreement, this seems inevitable.”
Nonetheless, in a press release, the Island Council confirmed yesterday that entry will be free for Tenerife residents, while individuals from other Canary Islands and non-residents will be subject to varying fees.
According to Europa Press, the proposal, to be administered by the public company Tragsa, has set the fee at three Euros for Canarian residents from other islands, with a reduced rate of 1.5 Euros for children, and 28 Euros for tourists, with children at 14 Euros.
The Council is scheduled to unveil today all the details of the new regulations, emphasizing that these measures “will enhance visitor safety, mitigate overcrowding in the area, and lead to a significant restoration of its natural and scenic conditions.”
