The president of the hotel sector calls for increased housing, supports fees for natural spaces, and demands better regulation of tourist accommodation.
SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, 1 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The president of the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro, Ashotel, along with the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (Cehat), Jorge Marichal, has urged all economic, social stakeholders, and politicians to collaborate “together” to enhance the quality of life in the Canary Islands and to put aside the “ideological clash” surrounding the protests by ‘Canary Islands has a limit’ groups.
“Those who wish to persist with their ideological conflict regarding what is good and bad, I sincerely regret it, but in this futile discourse, you will not have my support. Those willing to convene at a table to discuss and propose improvements to solutions will always be able to count on Ashotel,” he expressed in an opinion piece titled ‘The Hangover’, acknowledging that “the echoes” of the marches on 20 October “seem to have faded early as they were less substantial mobilisations.”
In this context, he emphasised the launch of a project by the employers’ association named ‘Canarian Dialogue for the Future of Tourism’, where they have engaged with business and environmental organisations to begin collaborating on initiatives and proposals. “That, in my view, is the path we must pursue,” he remarked.
Marichal pointed out that he agrees with “a significant portion” of the issues raised by the demonstrators, particularly concerning illegal wastewater discharges into the sea and the absence of housing that “addresses the continuous demand” from the resident population.
He further indicated support for “halting the excessive rise in vacation accommodation,” advocating for its regulation, partly due to a “poor law” on urban rentals.
He also commented that he advocates for “regulating hotel supply,” being a proponent of the notion of “growing inward,” which highlights the importance of quality over quantity.
The Tenerife hotel representative is also in favour of implementing fees for accessing natural spaces, with the funds gathered being “designated” for direct investment in enhancing these natural areas “while creating green employment and improved services, alongside controls on the number of visitors permitted each day.”
Moreover, he has expressed support for ongoing improvements to working conditions for employees in the hotel industry through collective bargaining.
LACK OF URBAN PLANNING
Marichal has acknowledged that a primary issue in the Canary Islands is the shortage of housing, attributing this to the disappearance of many construction firms during the 2008 crisis, insufficient urban planning, and the “frustrating sluggishness” with which projects are processed. “Without builders, there are no homes,” he clarified.
Consequently, he has critiqued the “influx” of vacation rentals into residential zones, “mixing land uses and introducing tourists into communities, generating numerous coexistence challenges and, above all, reducing housing availability for residential purposes.”
He noted that the 2023 modification of the Urban Leasing Law (LAU) has not aided the situation, “creating vulnerability and uncertainty for property owners versus tenants, leading to owners either leaving their properties vacant or moving them to the vacation rental market.”
In his view, “the magnitude of these issues is extensive and intricate enough that we must transcend our differences and unite in solving them; no one outside will resolve this for us, and I, like you, wish to continue living on this land.”
