The councilors of the Popular Party in the Yaiza City Council have presented a motion demanding the creation of a parking lot for motorhomes for a maximum use of 72 hours. "Although the need to have this type of facilities is not new, the problems generated on the beaches of Papagayo during the past Easter week have made the importance of having services of this type more evident," explains the municipal spokesperson, Juan Monzón, for whom it would be "very positive that Yaiza was a pioneer in this type of facilities."
"Yaiza, and Lanzarote in general, either because of its climate or its attractive coast, has always been very conducive to enjoying camping, an activity that over the years has been restricted to the point that there is only one area enabled to do so on the entire island, as is the case of the Papagayo campsite," the popular representatives state.
The motion, which will be debated in the plenary session next June, highlights that "in recent years, motorhomes have become the largest form of itinerant tourism and hence their exponential increase in sales throughout Europe." "Spain has not been left out of this trend and more than 10,000 registrations per year have already been exceeded, 44% more in 2020, which represents an economic impact of 477 million euros in the sector," they emphasize.
Juan Monzón highlights that "every year the number of people who dedicate their vacations to itinerant tourism is increasing, as well as the budget allocated to the activity, since it is not only the rental or maintenance of the vehicle itself, but also the expenses generated in the areas where they make stops or overnight stays." "Bars, restaurants, supermarkets, service stations, etc..., benefit from this type of tourism that consumes wherever it goes. According to various reports, the average expenditure per vehicle is around 70 euros/day," he adds.
Users have filed a complaint with the Deputy of the Common
The PP recalls that in Lanzarote there are caravanning associations such as ACRAL Lanzarote, which unifies more than 500 members from our island and the neighboring Fuerteventura. In addition, they emphasize that "the municipality of Yaiza, and specifically the port of Playa Blanca, is the one that houses the largest entry of this type of tourism to the islands, since those who arrive from other islands and the peninsula do so through the port of Morrojable (Fuerteventura), and after touring that island they enter Lanzarote through the south."
"The users of these vehicles in the Canary Islands have raised their complaint to the Deputy of the Common, pointing out that they do not have any service area where they can park for a maximum of 72 hours. Areas that can be found in the peninsula or in the rest of Europe", add the popular representatives.
In addition, the group argues "the ignorance that administrations sometimes have regarding the current regulations and the confusion generated by terms such as camping, parking and overnight stay, which is leading to prohibitions and sanctions that do not always correspond."
"All these aspects are what have motivated the presentation of this motion in which we demand the creation of these parking lots for 72 hours that already proliferate throughout Europe and peninsular Spain, but that in the Canary Islands are very scarce and in the case of Lanzarote, non-existent," defends the popular spokesperson.
Regarding his proposal, he explains that a service area for motorhomes "is functionally a place that has a water intake for filling the clean water tank, grids for emptying gray and black water from the vehicle and can, at the same time, have a flat space to park and stay overnight." The maximum parking period is 72 hours, being prohibited to take out of the motorhome any element such as chairs, tables, barbecues, awning, clothesline, etc., being expressly prohibited free camping.
