There is no denying that the Canary Islands comprising Tenerife, the largest island, followed by Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro, with the smallest being La Graciosa, collectively they represent the timeshare capital of Europe.
The majority of timeshare resorts are on Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and it’s these islands that are leading protests about the saturation and damage to the environment caused by tourism. Signs such as “Tourists go home” and “Closed due to over tourism” are popping up all over the tourist areas of the islands. At present the protests are calm, however the swell of local opinion is growing.
Tourism is the main source of income to the islands with the British being one of the largest contributors. In Lanzarote, demonstrations are currently scheduled to kick off on April 20 where environmentalists say the island is being ruined by its own success.
President of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, called for “common sense”, adding that tourism is the “main source of employment and wealth” for the local economy. He said that tourists “come to enjoy themselves, to spend a few days and to leave their money in the Canary Islands”. He also urged protesters to “be responsible in this action”, as UK tourists bring in millions every spring and summer.
Academics at Las Palmas University recently commented about the threats the holiday hotspots face including a massive sewage problem, a chronic housing shortage and chaos on the roads. Despite this, the professors have made it clear that Canarians remain as welcome and happy as ever to greet visitors from across the world.
Smokers go home!
For the non smoker, proposed changes in Canary Island smoking legislation may literally be a breath of fresh air. According to Canarian Weekly the Canary Islands Government is set to officially propose significant amendments to smoking regulations, including banning smoking on bar and restaurant terraces, at bus stops, and in outdoor sports areas. Additionally, they aim to tighten restrictions on the sale of vaping products. These proposals will be presented at the upcoming Inter-territorial Health Council meeting, where regional authorities will discuss a new Comprehensive Plan against Smoking with the national Ministry of Health. The Spanish central government is also considering the banning of smoking or vaping on beaches.
TCA comment
For those who own timeshare in the Canaries, on the assumption that you get availability to book a visit this year, you may not find the locals as friendly as they have been in the past. Having said that, business owners, especially those in the hospitality industry, are obviously aware that you don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
As we Brits say “it’s always nice to go on holiday where the natives are friendly”. Even if the dissent is contained to a relatively small cross section of the population, this can still put a damper on things. Feeling welcome is far better than being made to feel unwelcome.
For more information regarding this article or assistance in any other timeshare related issues please contact the TCA on 01908 881058 or email: info@TimeshareConsumerAssociation.org.uk
4 Responses
As a resident of Gran Canaria, the problem has been exacerbated by the increase in “private” apartment rentals, through sites such as Airbnb, especially in areas like San Fernando (Playa del Inglese) and Puerto Rico along with the purchase of “holiday” homes by “foreigners” which tend to remain empty for long periods. This has left a shortage of accommodation for locals to rent, especially those who work in bars, restaurants and hotels in the area, with rent prices increasing to such a state that they are no longer affordable.
For example, the average wage is around 1,200€ a month, (if you are lucky) with bedsits and 1-bed apartments costing in the region of 500€ to 700€ per month, then on top of that you will have all your bills to pay and as we all know those costs are rising rapidly.
Admittedly much of it is down to the owners’ greed, who see that they can receive those prices for a week’s rental in the holiday market, without the problems associated with long-term rentals.
In a way, it is a problem of their own making.
Hi Charles, thanks for the comment, it’s a good point you make, a case of the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Not an unusual story in life.
This reminds me of Maui, Hawaii, here in the US, as there was a housing shortage for local residents after the disastrous Maui fires, with complaints about tourists occupying needed space. Maui, like the Canary Islands, needs tourist dollars. The problem is always having both sides coming together to reach a compromise. My husband and I were scheduled to fly to Maui in the middle of the fires. Guilt won out, after much deliberation, so we canceled. I lived nine years in Hawaii so I understand the issue from both sides. We are grateful to have experienced the beauty of Gran Canaria. I do support smoking bans as it has long been proven secondary smoke is harmful. That issue is over and done in the US with no restaurants allowing smoking or vaping.
Hi Irene, thanks for your comment. Yes TCA saw the fallout over the Maui fire, in specific negative comment surrounding timeshare. Like you say there are two sides to a coin and taking a balanced view is necessary. Regards smoking, the whole of Spain, like the USA, is non smoking inside restaurants, bars, public transport etc but in general the outside has been left alone, obviously this may change in the near future, at least in the Canaries.