Unregulated Holiday Rentals On Protected Land Spark Crisis For Rural Tourism In Canary Islands

Published on August 24, 2025

The agrarian tourism assemblage successful nan Canary Islands is facing important challenges owed to nan expanding beingness of forbidden vacation accommodation connected protected and rustic lands. The unregulated vacation rentals is threatening nan endurance of morganatic agrarian tourism businesses. Rural tourism successful nan Canary Islands, chiefly composed of astir 800 agrarian houses tin of hosting complete 4,000 guests, is chiefly concentrated successful nan islands of Tenerife, La Palma, and Gran Canaria. However, a surge successful unauthorized picnic properties successful mid-mountain villages is putting this niche assemblage nether terrible strain, pinch galore of these properties operating extracurricular nan ineligible model designed to protect nan area’s agrarian heritage.

The Impact of Unregulated Holiday Rentals

The emergence of forbidden vacation rentals is described arsenic a important interest for agrarian tourism owners. These unlicensed accommodations, which often bypass readying regulations, are creating an oversupply successful areas that were traditionally location to agrarian tourism properties. The forbidden vacation lets, typically listed connected online platforms for illustration Airbnb, are not taxable to nan aforesaid regulations that govern nan operations of licensed agrarian houses, which see adhering to building and zoning laws designed to sphere nan integrity of agrarian landscapes. As a result, nan marketplace is flooded pinch non-compliant options, undermining nan efforts of morganatic agrarian accommodation providers who are committed to maintaining nan authenticity of nan section environment.

Efforts to Tackle nan Crisis: Legal and Governmental Measures

The section authorities has acknowledged nan value of addressing this rumor and has taken steps to mitigate nan crisis. A study commissioned by nan Canary Islands Government intends to measure nan authorities of nan agrarian tourism assemblage and find nan champion people of action to protect it from further erosion. This study is seen arsenic an basal measurement towards knowing nan standard of nan problem and processing a targeted response. Additionally, a long-awaited Vacation Rental Law is presently nether information successful Parliament, which is expected to group clearer guidelines for picnic rental properties crossed nan region.

Moreover, nan authorities is moving to instrumentality a Rental Registration Number (NRA) system, which would require each vacation lets listed connected platforms specified arsenic Airbnb to beryllium registered pinch a unsocial identifier. While this strategy applies to astir types of picnic rentals, agrarian houses are exempt owed to their classification nether a different ineligible framework. Despite this, galore agrarian accommodation owners stay skeptical of section councils’ expertise to enforce these laws effectively, citing a deficiency of action successful monitoring and regulating forbidden properties.

Local Councils’ Role and Responsibility

Local councils are seen arsenic having a important domiciled successful overseeing municipality planning, onshore use, and nan enforcement of laws regarding tourism connected agrarian land. However, critics reason that municipality halls person been passive successful addressing nan issue. It is claimed that councils seldom return action against unlicensed vacation rentals aliases nan building of forbidden properties connected protected landscapes. The interest is that without progressive oversight and enforcement, nan integrity of nan agrarian tourism assemblage will proceed to decline.

One cardinal rumor is that agrarian onshore successful nan Canary Islands is legally reserved for farming, livestock, and biology conservation, pinch tourer activity permitted only successful cases wherever pre-existing practice buildings tin beryllium restored and adapted for tourism purposes. This creates a ineligible favoritism betwixt genuine agrarian tourism accommodations and unauthorized properties, which are often described arsenic “substitutes” for existent agrarian tourism experiences. Without due regularisation and monitoring, these forbidden rentals undermine efforts to protect nan region’s earthy beauty and heritage.

A Call for Stronger Political and Municipal Support

Rural accommodation owners reason that nan endurance of their businesses hinges connected stronger governmental support, improved municipality readying discipline, and amended method training wrong municipal offices. They accent nan request for greater financial and practice preservation support to guarantee that agrarian tourism tin proceed to thrive successful nan look of mounting title from forbidden rentals. These operators judge that agrarian tourism offers a captious replacement to wide tourism, allowing visitors to bask personalized experiences, relax successful unfastened landscapes, and link pinch section traditions.

The assemblage insists that it is not opposed to modern developments but advocates for a balanced attack that integrates invention pinch practice conservation. Proposals are being put guardant to “ruralize tourism,” promoting a return to nan roots of agrarian life, connecting tourism to nan land, section communities, and nan region’s rich | heritage. This attack would guarantee that nan maturation of nan assemblage does not travel astatine nan disbursal of nan situation aliases nan authenticity of nan agrarian experience.

Rural Tourism arsenic a Guardian of Canarian Heritage

Rural tourism is described by galore arsenic nan antithesis of wide tourism. Unlike ample hotels and resorts, agrarian houses connection an opportunity for guests to immerse themselves successful nan section culture, history, and earthy surroundings. These agrarian accommodations are seen arsenic captious custodians of nan Canarian identity, showcasing nan islands’ unsocial civilization and landscapes successful ways that large-scale tourer developments cannot. The statement is made that agrarian tourism offers a much sustainable and culturally enriching replacement to nan wide tourism model, which often leads to overcrowding and biology degradation.

The Future of Rural Tourism successful nan Canary Islands

As nan agrarian tourism assemblage successful nan Canary Islands continues to look challenges from forbidden vacation rentals, location is dream that forthcoming governmental measures, specified arsenic nan Vacation Rental Law and nan Rental Registration Number system, will supply much-needed regularisation and support. However, agrarian tourism businesses stay concerned astir nan deficiency of effective action from section councils and nan ongoing threat posed by unlicensed accommodations. The endurance of this important assemblage depends connected a concerted effort from some nan authorities and section authorities to protect nan region’s earthy and taste heritage, ensuring that agrarian tourism tin proceed to supply visitors pinch authentic, sustainable experiences for years to come.