The César Manrique Foundation (FCM) states in a press release its "rejection of the proliferation of large advertisements in the exterior arrivals area and accesses to the César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport and requests their removal." This was conveyed by the Institution to the Airport Management last July, "without receiving a response or a reversal of the situation to date." According to them, "this is a concern shared with individuals and sectors of the Lanzarote population who have contacted the Foundation on several occasions to express their complaints in this regard."
The FCM considers "the placement of this advertising incomprehensible in the context of an island like Lanzarote, with a tradition of more than half a century away from the visual pollution generated by billboards and large advertisements, specifically, since 1967, with the approval of the Regulation for the Defense of the Landscape and Popular Architecture of Lanzarote, sponsored by César Manrique and approved by the Cabildo of Lanzarote. A tradition that is occasionally, but increasingly, being broken in different parts of the island with the placement of advertisements, particularly in Arrecife."
"Regulations of this type, such as the pioneering Regulation of the Cabildo, which safeguard the general interest of the island and the cultural and landscape heritage, without attending to economic or advertising interests of private companies, were also integrated into other planning figures such as the Island Plan, a fact that was always a source of satisfaction for César Manrique as he publicly expressed at different times," they point out.
For example, on January 3, 1976, César declared in the newspaper La Provincia: "In Lanzarote, incredible efforts have been made to protect the island and raise its standard of living, avoiding by all means the deterioration of its landscape, with the prohibition of horrendous advertisements, and Lanzarote has possibly been the only place in the world where this miracle has been achieved. Its tradition of popular architecture and its agriculture have been taken care of to the maximum. It has been protected from vulgarity and the results obtained have been clear, with a success of worldwide prestige."
Likewise, they point out that "this satisfaction has also been felt as their own by many citizens of Lanzarote, proud of the island's uniqueness in this sense, as our visitors recognize, becoming a modern hallmark of the island."
Consequently, for the FCM it is "inexplicable that the airport that bears the name of César Manrique - whose exterior facilities, in general, deserve more careful attention - and that is the gateway to Lanzarote - first impression, therefore, for tourists who visit it - allows and promotes the placement of advertising on the outside of its facilities, seriously contravening the style and will of César Manrique and distorting the Lanzarote brand."
The FCM urges the César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport to "act with exemplary behavior, reconsider the request it has received, and correct this unfortunate planning error as soon as possible."
