Tax no, charges yes. The Minister of Tourism for the Canarian Government, Jéssica de León, clarified his stance this morning regarding the ongoing discussion about imposing taxes on overnight stays in the islands. This subject has gained attention again following the proposal made this week by CC Tenerife – your governing partner at both the insular and regional levels – to introduce a tax on the influx of tourists. An idea that, in its initial form, does not resonate with conservatives. “We have consistently supported an eco-friendly approach, but not one that is imposed,” the minister stated during an event with representatives of the island councils to sign the Tourist Infrastructure Framework Agreement in the Canary Islands. De León further explained that the “tax” concept favoured by the nationalists, cannot be “finalist.” To back this claim, De León cited the example of the waste tax, where hundreds of millions of euros are collected, yet the Ministry of Ecological Transition “does not manage a single euro to enhance waste management in the Canary Islands.”
However, this was not the only argument he presented to dismiss the nationalist proposal. The minister also asserted that excluding residents is not feasible. “Residents cannot be overlooked; both in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, they pay, and here they would also,” he remarked. The conservatives have never been willing to cross that red line. “We represent a significant market for all the islands. Many individuals rent an apartment for a month to enjoy 30 days of vacation, and penalising that choice would push visitors towards other autonomous communities or regions in Spain,” he defended.
Island model
Despite the criticisms, De León wanted to clarify that “No military” in CC Tenerife and that this political group will need to determine the details of the proposal put forth by the head of the organisation and president of the Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, during its VI Insular Congress this weekend. Additionally, the minister supported the notion that each island should have the autonomy to choose its own model and the type of clientele it desires according to its framework and tourism strategy. “The Government fully respects any decisions made by the councils within their jurisdiction,” she added.
According to De León, discussions surrounding tourism taxation should occur within the context of the future Tourism Planning Law of the Canary Islands, which will feature five roundtables next week involving over 60 groups. De León recalled that this is not the first occasion taxation has been debated. Discussions on this matter previously took place during the five working tables addressing the demographic challenge. “It was unanimously agreed that Lanzarote’s system of taxation was the most effective in distributing resources and creating jobs, as it generates 40 million euros annually and is linked to 728 jobs within natural spaces and cultural tourism centres,” she stated.
The key
In line with this, the Vice President of the Cabildo de Tenerife and Minister of Tourism, Lope Afonso, emphasised that the essential aspect lies in implementing “intelligent taxation where special situations of overcrowding occur.” He added that there are already measures in place that, as he explained, “have introduced new services to enhance mobility, visitor experience, and conservation of spaces.”
Both were present this morning while signing the Common Collaboration Framework Agreement between the Ministry of Tourism and the Seven Insular Cabildos. This is aimed at aligning various projects based on the Canarian Insular Tourist Infrastructure Strategy, a document created to define a series of strategic lines and axes based on an inventory of the needs for tourist facilities on each island. Going forward, each council will coordinate with the Ministry regarding specific actions and necessary financial allocations for their island. De León reminded attendees that “for every million euros invested in tourist facilities, twenty-nine jobs are created, recognising that each tourist product requires associated infrastructure, such as paragliding needing its landing area or sea tourism requiring accessible beaches and services onshore.”
