The new Minister of Tourism for the Canary Islands Government, Jessica de León, has spoken out about her concerns due to the increase in tourismphobia, because of the rise in long-term rental prices of housing, and the perception that residents of the islands have about tourism in general.
In statements to the media, she said: “The tourismphobia that is being fuelled by some sectors in the Canary Islands is beginning to get worrying. Yes, tourism is colliding with residents, but we must face these points of conflict and tackle them head-on, as in the case of housing, but we mustn’t demonize the sector that, before the pandemic, represented 35% of the GDP of the Islands and is the main driving force of the economy.”
Sources from the tourism sector believe that the councillor must be very cautious when making these types of statements, and must prevent the issuing markets from feeling directly attacked, as happened in the case of Lanzarote and the British when even the CEO of the UK’s main tour operator (Jet2) asked the Lanzarote Cabildo for an explanation and clarification regarding the president’s statements.
They claim that messages, like the last one launched by De León, are not headlines that you want to reach travel agencies, as it creates uncertainty in international markets and is not what is needed right now.
