The Lanzarote Tourist Federation has sent its first statement this Tuesday since the beginning of the health crisis and has done so to question the work of the state security forces, stating that they are carrying out an "unjustified persecution" in Lanzarote's hotel establishments. Thus, the employers' association complains about the visits that agents are making to hotels "alluding to the supervision of compliance with the measures established against the coronavirus".
"The tourist accommodations and tourist companies that are members of the Federation are making a real effort to carry out compliance with the rules and mobility limitations established by the Government. Likewise, they are informing all their clients about the necessary restrictions and taking the appropriate measures at all times," defended the president of the employers' association, Susana Pérez. However, in her statement, Pérez does not refer to the interventions that the Guardia Civil has had to carry out to order the closure of the pools that remained open in many hotels.
This fact was denounced this Monday by Comisiones Obreras, which asked for "coherence and responsibility" from companies. In addition to the pools, the union assured that bars and restaurants were also open inside the hotels, putting the health of workers and the whole of society at risk. Afterwards, the Guardia Civil confirmed to La Voz that they had gone to several hotels and had had to order the closure of the pools, given that the decree issued by the Government of Spain was not being complied with.
They point to vacation homes
In its press release, the Tourist Federation focuses on the situation that has been experienced in the streets, where in these days many tourists have been seen walking despite the prohibition. In this regard, the employers' association directs attention to vacation homes, asking owners "to inform their clients about mobility restrictions."
Thus, although it does not expressly state it, the Federation seems to suggest that the tourists who are violating the rules would come from vacation homes, which "may be outside the direct and official information established against the coronavirus, running the risk that they will not return to their countries and cities of residence." "The Tourist Federation offers to inform all businessmen of the measures they must adopt in their establishments," he adds.
"Extreme control" in rent a cars
In addition, the employers' association also criticizes the controls that are being carried out on the car rental sector. "It is also suffering extreme control from law enforcement officers," they maintain. In this regard, they state that sanctions have been applied to car rental companies "when their own operators, having the mobility certificates of their companies, transferred the rental cars to the parking points enabled for their parking and definitive immobilization until the state of alarm is lifted."
Finally, the Tourist Federation has made an appeal "to the responsibility of all, as well as the cooperation of the FFSSEE and Public Administrations", and has highlighted the "great work and effort" that it considers is being carried out by "all the companies and workers in the tourism sector, in keeping informed about the measures to be applied to the more than 40,000 tourists who are still on our island these days awaiting their return or repatriation flights."
The restrictions on flights "arrive late"
In relation to the specific control measures proposed by the Ministry of Transport of the Government of the Canary Islands, the employers' association considers that they "arrive late", as it states that "weeks ago it already conveyed the need to carry out controls on passengers from risk areas."
Finally, and regarding the restrictions applied by the Government of the Canary Islands in the airspace, the Tourist Federation hopes that these measures "do not pose an obstacle to an orderly departure of tourists from the airport and that all travelers can have their return flight home on the scheduled and agreed dates."