Jéssica de León, Minister of Tourism and Employment of the Government of the Canary Islands, assured this Tuesday that the archipelago "is going to articulate a common front" against the increase of more than 4% in airport taxes that has been approved by the Board of Directors of Aena, the entity in charge of airport management in Spain.
"The Government of the Canary Islands is going to articulate a common front together with the tourism associations, the chambers of commerce and the sector as a whole, including airlines, to speak out against this increase of more than 4% in airport taxes, which means passing on to the customer around ten euros per ticket to come to the Canary Islands," the Minister highlighted at a press conference after opening the new smart house of the Elder Museum.
De León stressed that, "in a context in which Aena has profits", it seems "unthinkable" to impose a surcharge on fees.
"The Canarians and the Canary Islands tourism industry depend on aviation and air connectivity to live, to market and for the tourism industry to be competitive in the world," he added.
Concern about the impact of climate change
He also spoke about the possible impact that climate change may have on the Canary Islands tourism industry, following the serious forest fire that broke out a week ago on the island of Tenerife, and which has destroyed more than 14,600 hectares, with a perimeter of 88 kilometers.
"We are concerned that climate change may affect the people who live in the Canary Islands, and therefore the tourism industry that generates well-being, jobs for those of us who live in the Canary Islands," said the Minister, who added that it is something that administrations should "take seriously."
For this reason, she has defended the measures that are taken transversally from the Ministry of Ecological Transition and the creation of the General Directorate of Sustainability within the area she directs "to begin to promote from the tourism industry policies that have to do with the reduction of CO2 and the impact on the environment."
