Less than a year after Lanzarote initiated the process to declare itself a saturated tourist area, two municipalities have already announced the development of three new holiday complexes. Arrecife will have two hotels, and there will be the construction of a new apartment complex in Costa Teguise, one of the island's major tourist hubs.
According to the Arrecife City Council, the two hotels are set to open their doors in 2025. One of them is already under construction, located next to the Parque Islas Canarias in the heart of the capital and near the Puerto Naos dock. This seven-story "boutique hotel," is focused on family tourism, and is owned by a local company in Lanzarote.
The other hotel will be situated in the Cuatro Esquinas area, a residential neighbourhood. As reported by the Council, this complex is geared towards "urban tourism" and will be built on a plot where "old houses previously existed." Mayor Yonathan de León celebrated the continued attraction of "new private investments" linked to tourism in the capital at Fitur.
A few days later, the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, announced a four-star apartment complex in Costa Teguise which will cover 17,625 square metres, comprising 143 apartments with 292 beds for tourists. The project, requiring an investment of 14 million euros, is owned by the Tenerife-based company Nivaria Beach.
According to the mayor, this complex will help "create employment and modernise the image" of the town. Duque emphasises the "sustainable" nature of the complex by using "local materials" and creating "large landscaped areas with native plants", as well as incorporating water and energy recovery systems, water-saving systems, and waste management.
On November 6th, 2023, the Canary Islands Government approved the construction of a four-star hotel in Costa Teguise, with plans for 407 beds distributed across 176 units.
According to the Lanzarote Data Centre, this island with a population of 150,000 has 65,223 beds on offer for foreign visitors. A report commissioned by the island's Cabildo in the previous term, led by Dolores Corujo, and conducted by Gaia Consultores Insulares S.L.U, concluded that Lanzarote had far exceeded its tourist capacity.
The analysis also revealed that for every €10,000 in accommodation sector income, 1.78 jobs are created. For every 1,000 overnight stays, 6.95 jobs were generated. For every 100 travellers entering the island, five people were employed. The number of people in Lanzarote living below the poverty line has also doubled, rising from 9.4% in 2001 to 18.4% in 2018.
The report identifies a "low level of return efficiency for a supposedly thriving island tourist economy." It states, "This trend demonstrates a progressive deterioration in the living conditions of the local population in meeting their basic needs with dignity."
