British holidaymakers planning holidays to Tenerife in 2025 should be wary of a new rule coming into place from January. Large tourist buses will no longer be able to drive to Anaga Rural Park, the Canarian Weekly reports, in an attempt to minimise traffic to the mountain range, which is a protected natural area. Rosa Dávila, President of the Tenerife Cabildo, has said that this new regulation is part of a larger strategy to replace which she called an “obsolete model” of transportation that has been previously used on the island.
A new planned parking area in nearby Las Canteras will help offset the ban on tourist buses, and help prohibit traffic from entering the protected Anaga Massif. “These measures are designed not only to reduce traffic congestion but also to protect Tenerife’s fragile ecosystems from the detrimental effects of an excessive number of vehicles. By limiting access for large tourist buses, the Cabildo aims to preserve the tranquillity and environmental integrity of Anaga Rural Park, ensuring that both residents and visitors can continue to enjoy its natural splendor without the disruptions caused by heavy traffic,” Canarian Weekly reports.
Tenerife is an iconic holiday destination for a reason and millions of Brits travel to the holiday hotspot each year. From searching for some much-needed winter sun – the Canary Island boasts average temperatures of around 21C even in the coldest months – to its unforgettable volcanic landscape, it’s no wonder so many holidaymakers from the UK are drawn to the island.
The last year has seen protests take place by locals at the scale of visitors to the island, with locals frustrated at rising costs and being priced out of the housing market because of the volume of short-let properties, the depletion of natural resources, and environmental damage caused by tourism on such a mass scale. Last month saw many protestors take to Playa de las Américas in Tenerife, reportedly chanting ‘the beach is ours’ amid sunbathing holidaymakers.
The growing concern about the scale of visitors to Tenerife – the economy of which relies heavily on tourism – has led to the local government implementing a new ban on tourist vehicles in an attempt to protect the island’s “fragile ecosystems” and “environment integrity” that will come into effect in January 2025.
The new measure is part of an ongoing balancing act by the local government, in which they must enable and promote tourism because of its crucial role in the economy of the island, – it makes up 60 percent of Tenerife’s GDP – while creating a more sustainable model going forward.
A new tourism ‘eco-tax’ will also come into play on 1 January 2025, which will see holidaymakers pay a levy to visit the island’s protected natural areas, including the stunning volcano Mount Tiede – and local residents will not be subject to it.
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