29 Feb, 2024 - 2:01 PM

Moratorium lifted

Construction was legally paused however our drone footage from January 2023 suggests evidence of new infrastructure and construction that were not present in 2022 satellite imaging. This implies some work may have continued on the Cuna del Alma project despite the restriction. Furthermore, in July 2023 the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands rejected the Adeje City Council’s request for the suspension of the works to be lifted (El Diario, 2023), and by February 2024 the Canary Islands Government lifted the suspension allowing construction to continue on the site (Canarian Weekly)

15 Apr, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Stakeholder comment – Business owners comment on an eco-tax

Newspaper article

Stakeholder comment

Several stakeholders of the tourist industry in the Canary Islands have declared themselves against the application of a tourist tax or eco-tax in the Canary Islands.

  • The president of CEOE Tenerife, Pedro Alfonso, “The eco-tax is more than dead, it has no sense or reason to be applied”; “It is regrettable that we are still arguing that the effect generated by tourism in the Canary Islands is pernicious. There is no reason for this,”.

  • Oscar Izquierdo, president of the Provincial Federation of Construction Entities of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (FEPECO) accuses the demonstrations of being made up of people who ““only seek permanent debate, because a suitable topic will always come up, scrutinized precisely to waste time”.

  • The president of the Círculo de Empresarios de Gran Canaria, Agustín Manrique de Lara suggested implementing an eco-tax would be ” creating a figure that has more costs than the benefits it generates”.

(El Diario, 2024)

Screenshot 2024-11-04 at 10.26.26
The president of CEOE in Tenerife, Pedro Alfonso, at the headquarters of the organization (EFE)
19 Apr, 2024 - 11:00 AM

Stakeholder comment – Villarroya: “Let’s not play with the hand that feeds us”

Newspaper article

Stakeholder comment

The general manager of Spring Hotels, Miguel Villarroya Adell,  is concerned about the image that the demonstrations planned for the 20th of April will convey to tourists considering the economic dependence on the sector.  Villarroya suggests that the symptoms felt by the public are due to a lack of legislative control on the housing market and a lack of investment in infrastructure but also comments that demonstrating against the tourism model will not address these issues; “Let’s discuss the tourism model, there are solutions to put on the table, but let’s not play with the hand that feeds us.”

(El Diario, 2024)

The general manager of Spring Hotels and president of El Mojón (Diario de Avisos)
20 Apr, 2024 - 2:00 PM

Felipe Ravina calls out the present of Tenerife Cabildo for inaction

Social media

“It is very sad that @rosa_davilamamely has not spoken out publicly about this scandal, being the highest authority on the island.

Although she does not have the powers to stop the works, if she had acted differently, the works could not have been resumed.

The competences to manipulate protected species, such as the cardones, have always belonged to the Cabildo, but the Cabildo has passed these competences to the Ayuntamiento of Adeje (the first time in history that this has happened). If they really wanted to act, they would reclaim those powers and not grant permission to manipulate protected species. Without that permission, the project could not be carried out. But no, because there is no interest in protecting El Puertito on the part of the Cabildo of Tenerife.

And knowing first hand the incalculable value of this area, the fact that the president has not made the slightest effort to prevent all this destruction is very disappointing.” @Felipe-Ravina

Cuna del Alma

20 Apr, 2024 - 2:00 PM

20A demonstrations

On the 20th of April 2024, an unprecedented number of  Canarian people took to the streets demonstrating against the unsustainable nature of the tourism model in the Canary Islands. One of the examples of the concerns felt by the residents is the Cuna del Alma project, which represents the last non-tourist area in the South of Tenerife.

Construction work on the Cuna del Alma resort continues whilst ten people are on hunger strike, demonstrating in support of a more sustainable tourism model in the Canary Islands. One of the more immediate demands of the protests on the 20th of April was the suspension of work on the  Cuna del Alma project. In the weeks after the 20A demonstration protestors would block access to the site to prevent further “illegal” construction.

20 Apr, 2024 - 9:00 PM

Demonstration – Thousands attend the 20A demonstration

News article

Demonstration

“Thousands of Canary Islanders assembled on Saturday in Tenerife as well as in other islands of the archipelago to protest against mass tourism. Demonstrations have taken place today across the islands in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma under the banner “The Canaries have a limit”.  According to the organisers, 120,000 people are believed to have gathered in the city to take part in the march. Activists say the huge influx in tourist numbers is inflicting irreparable damage to the environment and is leading to poverty among the islanders due to low pay and rising property prices.”

(Express, 2024)

Thousands took part in the protest in Tenerife (Jonathan Buckmaster)