The beach of El Reducto, main coastal enclave of Arrecife, has lost the blue flag after remaining closed for more than five months due to fecal discharges, as the PSOE has informed.
From the political party they directly blame the mayor, Yonathan de León, for the situation. They recall that just eight months ago the councilor posed next to the Councilor for Beaches, Davinia Déniz, "boasting about the blue flag", a distinction that has now been lost after months of inactivity and lack of solutions.
The socialists warn that the crisis is already having consequences beyond the local scope. As they convey, travel agencies and tour operators are starting to recommend not visiting Arrecife due to the prolonged closure of its main beach due to contamination, which worsens the reputational damage of the destination.
Likewise, they highlight the economic impact on small shops and catering businesses in the area, especially those linked to cruise tourism and to the activity on the maritime avenue, where numerous terraces depend on the flow of visitors.
“It can be understood that a spill closes a beach for a day or two, or a week, but it cannot be understood that for more than five months the beach is closed, the blue flag is lost, tourists are scared away from the city and the mayor even finds it amusing,” states Cristina Duque.
From the PSOE they also criticize the lack of reaction from the tourism business sector: “It seems very surprising to us that five months later and after the loss of the blue flag, the tourism employers' association remains hidden and applauding the mayor who is ruining the main tourist photo of Lanzarote's capital”, they conclude.