Cable car and Teide car parks while sewage and housing wait

By Marlis Zoschke

Inadequate water supplies, a shortage of doctors and high unemployment amongst young people. Added to this are exorbitant rents for local residents, who often live in cramped conditions due to a lack of housing.

Migration must not be overlooked either. And finally, there is the disastrous state of the sewage system. This is hardly a recommendation for a relaxing annual holiday. And potential holidaymakers can read all about this too.

But a cable car is needed so that people can soar up from Santa Cruz. And in the Mount Teide Nature Reserve, plenty of car parks are required – something the EU is making possible with a substantial sum. Really important matters such as environmental protection, sewerage system upgrades or training programmes for unemployed young people – none of this features anywhere.

Are foreign investors exploiting the Canary Islands?

Who decides that? Is there no one who will prioritise the important issues facing the Canary Islands? After all, a great deal of money is generated through tourism. Even if the investors pocket the lion’s share, there must still be money left over for the preservation of the islands.

When interest in the Canary Islands wanes and tourism slows down, investors look for other properties. They’ve made their money. Aldi and Lidl, for example, generate annual turnover that’s almost beyond belief. Local shops can hardly compete with them.

Many holidaymakers are self-caterers – so where do they go? We’re all familiar with the options and the prices, which are usually cheaper abroad. I feel sorry for the people who have often worked hard to build a livelihood for themselves. But this is how tourists who simply rent a flat manage to holiday on a budget.