Lanzarote tourism demonstrations “a call to order”

The President of Lanzarote’s Tourist Federation, Susana Pérez, has described the upcoming Lanzarote tourism demonstrations as a “call to order”.

Pérez told Radio Lanzarote that authorities had failed to take action “the population of Lanzarote has increased by 60%, but public services have not matched this.

“There has been a lack of new planning for over 30 years on the island as a whole and in certain municipalities; there are shortcomings in mobility and public transport, education, training etc.”

Pérez’s association represents many hoteliers on the island, and when asked about a proposed ban on hotel licences she said that “in recent times only two hotels have opened, one on Playa Blanca and another in Puerto del Carmen.”

“These account for 2,000 tourist places at the most, nowhere near the increase in holiday rentals on the island.”

Pérez praised the Canarian Government’s forthcoming Holiday Rentals Law and aimed fire at the large companies that own up to 500 holiday rental properties, demanding that they be forced to convert into hotels or tourist apartments. In regard to the 22,000 Canarian owners who have just one rental property, she said “There are transitional measures to adapt”.

This week, the Lanzarote political parties (PSOE and NC-BC) have added their surpport to the demonstration against mass tourism, which will be led by “normal citizens”.