The organisers of the 20A demonstrations against the current mass-tourism model have called on the Gran Canaria Cabildo to immediately halt its development plans aimed at doubling the island’s tourist accommodation capacity. This appeal was made in response to the Cabildo's Plan Insular de Ordenación, approved in 2022, which allows for the construction of over 129,000 new tourist beds, effectively doubling the current capacity.
The 20A Coordinating Committee claims that this planned expansion continues a development model that has already collapsed. Both the Government of the Canary Islands and the tourism industry have acknowledged the need for a revised approach, according to a statement from the environmental association Ben Magec.
“Such growth forecasts seem like an attempt to continue with a developmental model that is already collapsing. The worst part is that this planning involves the destruction of ecosystems that had remained relatively protected from the impact of the tourism industry,” the statement read.
The Committee argues that these growth forecasts are inconsistent with the eco-sustainable model purportedly advocated by Antonio Morales' administration. They challenge the Cabildo to stop referring to Gran Canaria as an "eco-island" while the current Plan de Ordenación remains unaltered.
In the energy sector, the Committee criticises the Cabildo for promoting the consumption of rural land, concentrating wind and photovoltaic power projects in the hands of multinationals. The increase in tourist accommodations would necessitate further large-scale infrastructure for energy production, storage, and distribution.
The 20A Coordinating Committee believes Gran Canaria should focus on restoring degraded natural areas, conserving protected spaces, safeguarding agricultural land, and diversifying the economy. They argue that the Cabildo’s plans, however, are more aligned with continuing large-scale construction projects.
The Committee also questions the construction of the train in the south of the island, the permits granted for a water park in Maspalomas, and the Salto de Chira project, a reversible hydroelectric plant pivotal to the island’s renewable energy plans.
“We demand that the Cabildo of Gran Canaria immediately suspend the development plans for tourism growth approved by its government in the latest Plan Insular de Ordenación. They should stop misleading the public with sustainability rhetoric while simultaneously promoting the most aggressive territorial policies seen by any previous government. The limit has been surpassed, and the will of the Canary people is clear,” the statement concluded.
