The Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, Jéssica de León, is in favor of charging for access to protected areas, as is done in Lanzarote, and also of opening a debate on the implementation of an eco-tax, although she doubts its effectiveness.
In an interview with EFE, the Minister assures that she agrees to charge for visiting protected natural areas, including Canary Island residents, although she recalls that this is the responsibility of the island councils.
She cites Lanzarote as an example, which this year plans to collect around 40 million euros for this concept that "results in the management and protection of the environment".
Regarding the debate on the implementation of an eco-tax in the Canary Islands, she distinguishes between a "fee for service provision", such as charging for access to protected areas, and a fixed fee, which would be what is known as an eco-tax, and she has her doubts there.
Especially when taking into account "the excess of collection and the problems of resource management" that exist in the Canary Islands.
She believes that implementing an eco-tax "would not solve the problem we have in the Canary Islands in terms of housing, transportation... but I am convinced that the employers' association and the main tourist organizations are willing to give that debate and also open it to the Government," she says.
De León says she is aware that "the anger" of the Canarians "is widespread, and rightly so", when they see that rental prices and the shopping basket "skyrocket", or that "they are going to cut off your water due to the drought", but she criticizes that "some groups blame everything and point the finger at one sector", the tourism sector.
She assures that she shares and feels "very identified" with "many things" that are behind the demonstrations called on April 20 to demand a new tourism model, such as the protection of the environment.
And she admits that the tourism industry "can be improved, has challenges and is willing to assume them", but warns that "we cannot attack tourists who come to spend their holidays and are unaware of this reality. With that we only benefit direct competitors (...) Be careful with those images, which do not benefit anyone, and even less the working class".
The Minister of Tourism asks environmental groups to sit down and debate and regrets that they have not responded to her offers, which she says are prior to the call for the demonstrations on April 20, which she respects "deeply", and affirms that she shares "part of their messages".
She understands that some proposals, such as the prohibition or restriction of the purchase of homes by foreigners, "are unfeasible", taking into account that in the EU "there are two sacred freedoms, that of transit and that of establishment and business".
In other matters, however, "we are willing to talk, the tourism entrepreneurs first".
Jéssica de León maintains that "the change" of tourism model in the Canary Islands "has already begun" by embarking the regional executive on an "ambitious process of reform of the regulatory block", with the decree of urgent measures in housing matters and the future law on vacation homes.
And here she highlights a fact that in her opinion is revealing: while the number of hotel and non-hotel beds "has decreased by 12%" since 2016, "220,000 vacation home places have been enabled through the back door. If you put it in numbers, that's 500 hotels of 400 places".
"The capacity has gotten a little out of our hands. That pressure on housing generates a widespread anger that I share", hence the future law that will regulate this activity. "We are giving brave debates", the Minister claims.
And she adds: the demonstrations on April 20 "speak quite a bit about where we have to go in the Canary Islands. No matter how much political cost it may have, I am aware of it, it is a decision that had to be made"
