The president of Tenerife Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, said today (Monday) that the massive demonstrations on Saturday represent a "turning point" to address changes in the tourism model in the archipelago, and expressed her support for the idea of starting to charge tourists for access to natural spaces to protect the environment.
"As president of the Island Council, I understand the message of the people, the thousands who protested on Saturday, and the many others who, while not attending the demonstration, share the same concern," she said in an interview with Radio Club Tenerife.
Dávila proposed that the fee for accessing natural spaces be used solely for their upkeep and improvement, citing Teide National Park, the Masca Valley, or the Anaga Biosphere Reserve as examples.
The president stated that the tourism model of the Canary Islands "was successful 50 years ago because it transformed the island from a rural, impoverished society, where people had to leave to work elsewhere, but now, it needs adapting to today’s society”.
She added that the tourism model "deserves a review to integrate much better and bring benefits to society as a whole, starting with increasing the wages of workers in the subsector”.
Regarding the possibility of reducing the number of tourists, she stated that “it is necessary to preserve and protect our limited territory with the legal and fiscal measures at our disposal, to move towards a tourism model that regenerates, and is aware that Tenerife as a destination, is not a theme park."
She also mentioned that it is not just about tourism but also about population growth, especially in Tenerife. She emphasised the importance of listening to experts and waiting for the outcome of the conference of Cabildo presidents being chaired by the Canarian president, Fernando Clavijo, on April 30th, where a "roadmap" must be agreed to develop a much more sustainable and diversified economic model.
