The Lanzarote Tourism Federation (FTL) has held a meeting of work with the Director General of Security of the Government of the Canary Islands, David del Pino Franquet, with the objective of coordinating actions and addressing key issues for the insular tourism sector before the upcoming deployment of the Canarian Police on the island.
On behalf of the FTL attended the meeting its president, Susana Pérez, and the technician Delma Duque, along with two members of the Board of Directors: the president of Aserent, Luis Hernández, and the representative of APIT, Ewa Czerwinska. They accompanied the Director General of Security, the coordinator of the Canarian Police in Gran Canaria, José Prieto, and the inspector of the body Francisco Ruano.
The new headquarters will be located in the old Arrecife Local Police station, currently awaiting refurbishment works, and will allow the assignment of approximately 30 personnel on the island. This reinforcement is part of the progressive growth of the force, which has more than 290 personnel and plans to incorporate a new promotion of 143 agents who will begin their training in April.
One of the central points of the meeting was "the increase of intrusion" in different activities linked to the tourism sector. Regarding vehicle rental, concern was conveyed regarding the increase in offers made by individuals through digital platforms and social networks, without complying with the legal requirements or the guarantees demanded in terms of tourism security.
Likewise, the carrying out of tourist excursions by people without the official qualification of authorized guide, in unauthorized vehicles for the transport of passengers and without the mandatory insurance, which poses a risk both for visitors and for residents. This problem is also detected in the field of active tourism, where activities are carried out without the relevant authorizations.
Another prominent issue was that of holiday homes that operate outside the regulatory framework, generating unfair competition and coexistence problems in certain areas of the island. Finally, from the FTL, the concern of the sector regarding the increase in thefts in specific areas of high tourist influx was conveyed, emphasizing the importance of reinforcing police presence to preserve the visitor's experience and Lanzarote's image as a safe destination.
As next steps, the holding of a technical meeting specialized by subject areas was agreed, in which representatives of the Canarian Police and the different sectors involved -such as active tourism, transport and complementary activities-, will participate with the objective of defining concrete lines of operational coordination.
Furthermore, lines of collaboration will be established between the FTL and the Coordination Area of the Canarian Police, which will include concrete inspection programs until the full operability of the department in Lanzarote.
The president of the Federation, Susana Pérez, valued the meeting very positively and highlighted “the full willingness of the General Directorate of Security and the Canarian Police to work in a coordinated manner with the tourism sector”, emphasizing that “this collaboration will be key to reinforcing security, combating illegal activity and continuing to guarantee the quality and competitiveness of Lanzarote as a tourist destination”.
