The mayor of Yaiza, Óscar Noda, once again demanded this Thursday in the first meeting of this mandate of the 'Advisory Council of Canary Islands Ports', chaired by the Minister of Public Works of the Government of the Canary Islands, Pablo Rodríguez, the implementation of cruise tourism in Playa Blanca starting in the 2024 season, requesting the public business entity to analyze the competitiveness of the new port and an evaluation of the economic impact caused at the destination by the docking of medium-sized and boutique-type cruises: “we know that there are tour operators interested in docking in Playa Blanca, so these studies that I have proposed to Canary Islands Ports will serve the Autonomous Community and the Cabildo of Lanzarote to be filled with more reasons to make profitable an installation whose expansion project exceeded 40 million euros”.
Óscar Noda highlights that “Pablo Rodríguez knows perfectly the technical characteristics and the possibilities of using the infrastructure because he was also the highest responsible for the Ministry of Public Works of the Canary Islands when the construction of the new port began, in such a way that we trust and appreciate in advance his support based on technical and economic criteria”.
The mayor of Yaiza recalls that since the expansion project was agreed upon, “it was clear that the port would not only improve the maritime connectivity of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura, the safety in the operations of the ships that connect the two islands and the safety of fishing and sports boats with the reorganization of spaces and uses, but that the port would open its doors to cruise tourism with the new 300-meter-long dike and its draft conditions”.
New terminal
Another of the requests of the southern mayor within the Advisory Council of Canary Islands Ports has to do with the operation of the new terminal that today "remains inoperative": “we are wasting an eco-sustainable space of 1,800 square meters that no port in the Canary Islands has, while the shipping companies' offices continue to serve the public in the old building”.
Therefore, Óscar Noda asked for “the immediate opening of the new terminal and its parking for the convenience of shipping companies, users and taxi and bus services. We cannot have deficient complementary services that today do not correspond to the size of the port”.
The mayor also presented a third request almost derived from the previous one. This is the "complaint from the Puerto Chico residential area that denounces noise and smoke from the Naviera Armas ferry" that stays overnight in Playa Blanca: “as not all energy connections are enabled, the ship has to supply the electricity needs for its freezers and refrigerators, that is why I insisted and it is essential to put all the services into operation". I want to make it clear that my requests on behalf of Yaiza and Lanzarote are transferred with the "absolute will to improve because by talking there will always be room for understanding and solving problems”.