Latest news with #CabildodeTenerife
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Time Out
Tenerife is introducing daily visitor caps and a new tourist tax
Spain has introduced various measures to clamp down on its overtourism problem recently, from two-year bans on new holiday lets in Alicante to the doubling of tourist taxes in Barcelona. The Canary Islands have arguably been most impacted by the negative effects of too many tourists. In the first quarter of 2025, a whopping 4.36 million international visitors made their way to the islands, prompting huge demonstrations this April to demand tighter regulations on tourism. According to Travel Tomorrow, banners read 'The Canaries Have A Limit'. Now, Tenerife – the most visited of the archipelago's islands – is introducing new measures to protect its natural environment from the impact of overtourism. One initiative is a daily cap on visitor numbers to Anaga Rural Park. The park, on the island's northern tip, brags dramatic mountains looming over the Atlantic Ocean, as well as black sand beaches, prehistoric forests and protected species such as the Laurel Pigeon. There are also 26 traditional villages within the park, which survive by ancestral agricultural methods – pretty fascinating, right? A motion was passed by the council to restrict access to the park, and in January, large coaches specifically were blocked from accessing certain areas. Carmen Peña, councillor for San Cristobal de la Laguna, has called on the island's governing body Cabildo de Tenerife to continue enforcing the motion, including introducing daily visitor caps. Elsewhere on the island, the Cabildo de Tenerife announced the launch of an online booking system for some of the trails in Teide National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to Spain's highest peak. According to the Times, tourists visiting the peak – Teide – will now be charged an 'eco-tax', and security cameras are reportedly being installed to control the park's visitor numbers and monitor when areas are overcrowded. Environmental groups have said these measures are insufficient and have called for a significant reduction in the park's four million annual visitors. Spain's battle with overtourism Spain is set to become the most-visited destination in the world within the next 15 years, but the recent protests on the Canary Islands echo a resentment felt across the country.
Euronews
16-04-2025
- Euronews
Climbing, collecting rocks, going off-trail: Tourists accused of trashing Tenerife's Teide Park
ADVERTISEMENT Environmentalists in the Canary Islands are sounding the alarm over the damage tourism is doing in Teide National Park, home to Spain's highest peak. Jaime Coello Bravo, director of the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation, called out the Tenerife Island Council for promoting what he described as the 'massification and destruction' of the park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In a post shared on social media on 13 April, Bravo said the park 'hurts' from the number of tourists trudging over its landscapes. He also shared images and videos of visitors straying off designated trails and climbing volcanic rock formations. 'If this is the crown jewel [of Tenerife's natural sites]. How will the other spaces be? We know because most are equal or worse,' he wrote. 'It is a scandal and a shame the lack of response, inaction and complicity with an unsustainable situation.' Teide National Park welcomes over 3 million visitors a year Located in the centre of Tenerife , Teide National Park surrounds the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano, which rises 3,718 metres above sea level and offers sweeping views of the surroundings. Those views, the striking volcanic landscapes and the unique wildlife such as the Tenerife lizard attract about three million visitors each year. According to the local tourism board, the park is the most visited national park in Europe. But its popularity is putting pressure on a delicate ecosystem . Related 'Not for sale': Anti-tourism protestors destroy hundreds of sunbeds in Tenerife Hiking in Cinque Terre this spring? Be prepared for footwear checks and one-way systems Bravo's photos showed a crowded car park, tourists clambering over volcanic rocks and one woman appearing to collect stones from a restricted area. 'The overcrowding of vehicles is indescribable,' he said. A new reservation system aims to reduce overcrowding Just days before Bravo's posts, the Cabildo de Tenerife (Island Council of Tenerife) revealed a new online reservation system aimed at controlling access to more advanced trails within the park. The new system will require visitors to register online before attempting certain hiking routes, including the trails that lead to the summit of the stratovolcano . Access will only be granted to authorised tourism professionals and mountain federations with proper permits and safety equipment. The goal, according to officials, is to 'preserve the natural environment and control the influx of people'. Can Europe's natural landmarks handle mass tourism? The situation in Tenerife echoes concerns raised in other parts of Europe, where local ecosystems are under strain from high visitor numbers – and local populations have sometimes lashed out in response to them. In Italy, officials in Venice have introduced – and now doubled – an entry fee for day-trippers to ease overcrowding in the historic city, while the island of Sardinia has begun banning beach towels and requiring advanced bookings to visit certain beaches. Residents in popular travel destinations, from Amsterdam to Santorini , are increasingly pushing back against the negative effects of tourism. In early April, residents across Spain staged protests against mass tourism, less than a year after Barcelona residents sprayed tourists with water guns and shouted 'tourists go home'. ADVERTISEMENT Related 'It's not a theme park': As tourism surges, Canary Islanders call on visitors to show more respect 'Responsible, high-spend tourists': Chile wants visitors who enjoy sustainable travel Tenerife has seen its own blunt response to mass tourism, too. Last April, demonstrators in Tenerife organised a hunger strike over hotel developments. Some locals said they were sleeping in cars or caves because they couldn't afford housing on the island. Now, the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation is urging the government to take stronger action to protect Teide and other natural areas across the Canary Islands. With summer approaching, signs point to another tense season as Spain grapples with how – and how many – people should experience its natural wonders. ADVERTISEMENT
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Yahoo
Climbing, collecting rocks, going off-trail: Tourists accused of trashing Tenerife's Teide Park
Environmentalists in the Canary Islands are sounding the alarm over the damage tourism is doing in Teide National Park, home to Spain's highest peak. Jaime Coello Bravo, director of the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation, called out the Tenerife Island Council for promoting what he described as the 'massification and destruction' of the park, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In a post shared on social media on 13 April, Bravo said the park 'hurts' from the number of tourists trudging over its landscapes. He also shared images and videos of visitors straying off designated trails and climbing volcanic rock formations. 'If this is the crown jewel [of Tenerife's natural sites]. How will the other spaces be? We know because most are equal or worse,' he wrote. 'It is a scandal and a shame the lack of response, inaction and complicity with an unsustainable situation.' Located in the centre of Tenerife, Teide National Park surrounds the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano, which rises 3,718 metres above sea level and offers sweeping views of the surroundings. Those views, the striking volcanic landscapes and the unique wildlife such as the Tenerife lizard attract about three million visitors each year. According to the local tourism board, the park is the most visited national park in Europe. But its popularity is putting pressure on a delicate ecosystem. Related 'Not for sale': Anti-tourism protestors destroy hundreds of sunbeds in Tenerife Hiking in Cinque Terre this spring? Be prepared for footwear checks and one-way systems Bravo's photos showed a crowded car park, tourists clambering over volcanic rocks and one woman appearing to collect stones from a restricted area. 'The overcrowding of vehicles is indescribable,' he said. Just days before Bravo's posts, the Cabildo de Tenerife (Island Council of Tenerife) revealed a new online reservation system aimed at controlling access to more advanced trails within the park. The new system will require visitors to register online before attempting certain hiking routes, including the trails that lead to the summit of the stratovolcano. Access will only be granted to authorised tourism professionals and mountain federations with proper permits and safety equipment. The goal, according to officials, is to 'preserve the natural environment and control the influx of people'. The situation in Tenerife echoes concerns raised in other parts of Europe, where local ecosystems are under strain from high visitor numbers – and local populations have sometimes lashed out in response to them. In Italy, officials in Venice have introduced – and now doubled – an entry fee for day-trippers to ease overcrowding in the historic city, while the island of Sardinia has begun banning beach towels and requiring advanced bookings to visit certain beaches. Residents in popular travel destinations, from Amsterdam to Santorini, are increasingly pushing back against the negative effects of tourism. In early April, residents across Spain staged protests against mass tourism, less than a year after Barcelona residents sprayed tourists with water guns and shouted 'tourists go home'. Related 'It's not a theme park': As tourism surges, Canary Islanders call on visitors to show more respect 'Responsible, high-spend tourists': Chile wants visitors who enjoy sustainable travel Tenerife has seen its own blunt response to mass tourism, too. Last April, demonstrators in Tenerife organised a hunger strike over hotel developments. Some locals said they were sleeping in cars or caves because they couldn't afford housing on the island. Now, the Telesforo Bravo-Juan Coello Foundation is urging the government to take stronger action to protect Teide and other natural areas across the Canary Islands. With summer approaching, signs point to another tense season as Spain grapples with how – and how many – people should experience its natural wonders.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Yahoo
Tourists slammed by environmental group for causing harm to Spain's highest peak
A Canary Islands environmentalist group has warned that visitors are harming Tenerife's Teide National Park by straying off-trail and climbing over the protected terrain. The Unesco Heritage site of Teide National Park features the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano that, at 3,718m, is the highest peak in Spanish territory, making for a spectacular view of its volcanic landscape and towering height. Tourists to Tenerife, a popular holiday destination, will often visit this giant natural landmark, home to flora and fauna and small creatures like the Tenerife lizard, that are unique to the area. Tenerife's tourist board says that the Teide National Park is the most visited national park in Europe, welcoming some three million visitors a year. However, Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation, a Canarian environmentalist and scientific group, has criticised the island's council for what they believe to be an 'unsustainable' management of the park. Writing in a social media post on Sunday, 13 April, Jaime Coello Bravo, the director of the Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation said that Teide National Park 'hurts'. Mr Bravo called out the Cabildo de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council) for continuing 'to allow and promote the massification and destruction of what they themselves call, 'the crown jewel of the protected natural spaces of Tenerife'.' 'If this is the crown jewel. How will the other spaces be? We know because most are equal or worse,' he continued. 'It is a scandal and a shame the lack of response, inaction and complicity with an unsustainable situation.' Mr Bravo also posted pictures and videos of a car park of visitors, people seen climbing up the volcanic rock formations and taking pictures, and a woman appearing to pick up stones. 'In the pictures, you can appreciate how the Minas de San José were the other day,' he said. 'The overcrowding of vehicles is indescribable.' 'People getting in off-path and climbing everywhere, too. In addition, we can see people selecting rocks and taking them off-path in another area of the Park, in front of [Mount] Guajara.' The environmentalist's criticism comes days after the Cabildo de Tenerife announced an online reservation system for certain, more advanced trails around the national park. The council opened access on foot to the trails leading to the peak of Teide National Park for mountain federations and authorised tourism professionals and companies that must meet a series of requirements such as a permit and certain equipment. Access will be permitted to those registered in the Canary Islands Government's Tourism Registry under the headings of hiking, mountaineering, and/or trekking activities, with accredited guides with the necessary qualifications. The online reservation system has been set up 'in order to preserve the natural environment and control the influx of people.' The Independent has contacted Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation and Cabildo de Tenerife for comment.
The Independent
14-04-2025
- The Independent
Tourists slammed by environmental group for causing harm to Spain's highest peak
A Canarian environmentalist group has warned that visitors are harming Tenerife 's Teide National Park by straying off-path and climbing over the protected terrain. The Unesco Heritage site of Teide National Park features the Teide-Pico Viejo stratovolcano that, at 3,718 m, is the highest peak in Spanish territory, making for a spectacular view of its volcanic landscape and towering height. Tourists to Tenerife, a popular holiday destination due to its large selection of hotel resorts and beaches, will often visit this giant natural landmark, home to flora and fauna and small creatures like the Tenerife lizard, that are unique to the area. Tenerife's tourist board says that the Teide National Park is the most visited national park in Europe, welcoming some three million visitors a year. However, Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation, a Canarian environmentalist and scientific group, has criticised the island's council for what they believe to be an 'unsustainable' management of the park. Writing in a social media post on Sunday, 13 April, Jaime Coello Bravo, the director of the Telesforo Bravo–Juan Coello Foundation said that Teide National Park 'hurts'. Mr Bravo called out the Cabildo de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council) for continuing 'to allow and promote the massification and destruction of what they themselves call, 'the crown jewel of the protected natural spaces of Tenerife'.' 'If this is the crown jewel. How will the other spaces be? We know because most are equal or worse,' he continued. 'It is a scandal and a shame the lack of response, inaction and complicity with an unsustainable situation.' Mr Bravo also posted pictures and videos of a car park of visitors, people seen climbing up the volcanic rock formations and taking pictures, and a woman appearing to pick up stones. 'In the pictures, you can appreciate how the Minas de San José were the other day,' he said. 'The overcrowding of vehicles is indescribable.' 'People getting in off-path and climbing everywhere, too. In addition, we can see people selecting rocks and taking them off-path in another area of the Park, in front of [Mount] Guajara.' The environmentalist's criticism comes days after the Cabildo de Tenerife announced an online reservation system for certain, more advanced trails around the national park. The council opened access on foot to the trials leading to the peak of Teide National Park for mountain federations and authorised tourism professionals and companies that must meet a series of requirements such as a permit and certain equipment. Access will be permitted to those registered in the Canary Islands Government's Tourism Registry under the headings of hiking, mountaineering, and/or trekking activities, with accredited guides with the necessary qualifications. The online reservation system has been set up 'in order to preserve the natural environment and control the influx of people.'
