Five New Buses Added
Five new buses have been delivered to Lanzarote, and they will be used to increase the frequency of the busy Line 3 service. The new buses are the latest generation Diesel Hybrids, offering clean running and exceptional fuel economy. They will enter service next week.
Cabildo Studies Enabling Arrecife Home Owners To Add A Floor
The Cabildo is studying the possibility of allowing home owners in parts of Arrecife, to add an additional floor to their properties, with the aim of giving them a self contained space for children or Granparents to live, or for long term rental, but specifically excluding use as a vacation rental.
Booking .com Helping Identify Illegal lets
The Ministry of Tourism and Employment of the Canary Island’s government, and Booking .com have reached a collaboration agreement to control illegal tourist lets on the islands. Various public bodies will have access to the back end of the portal, allowing officials to identify unlicensed properties being offered to the market. booking .com has worked to train housing inspectors from the islands in using the system. The data will also be used to create maps showing where properties are, providing territorial information. The ministry is also working with Air BNB and other online portals to establish the same relationships.
Cabildo Advocating Use Of Taxilanzarote Platform
The Cabildo are urging taxi co-operatives across the island to start using a platform called taxi lanzarote .net, which enables people to pre book taxi services online and in advance. Using the platform is purely voluntary by taxi owners, but its use will help to distribute taxis more evenly across the island.
AENA Will Join Airport Terminals
Cesar Manrique Airport’s two terminals will be joined together in a 250 million € expansion project that AENA will start in 2027. The aim is to allow easy access between the current terminals 1 and 2, for connecting flights, and improving the use of space of car parking. The project will take until 2031.
Tourist Visitors Topped 3.4 Million In 2024
Visitors to Lanzarote reached a historic high in 2024, of 3,406,911. The three busiest months were December, March and February. In percentage terms, 50% were from UK, 10.5% from Ireland and 10.25% from Germany.
And Across The Canaries Over 18 Million
Visitors to the islands as a whole topped 18 million in 2024, also a record. Canarian President Fernando Clavijo, in a speech this week suggested that there is a need rethink the strategy as a destination. “We can’t continue this model of more tourists. Maybe we have to start saying: the same or less, but with greater purchasing power, with greater spending on destination and with a more responsible use of our natural resources.”
He went on: “It is clear what the tourism sector has meant for the Canary Islands to move from a ruralized and poor society to what we are today. The path we have traveled has been one of success. But now our growth has to be qualitative, not quantitative.”
Illegal Car Rental Company Closed Down
Arrecife police closed down a workshop in Arrecife this week, which was the centre of business for a car hire company, operating without any permits or licenses. They found 38 cars, all registered in the name of one person, an American born resident of the island. The cars were being offered for rental in more than 100 different publications, and many were identified driving in and out of the cruise port, suggesting they were being rented to cruise ship passengers. Reports have been sent to various bodies responsible for licensing and transport, and also to the tax authorities.
Five Irish Business People Recognized By Tias
José Juan Cruz, the Mayor of Tias, visited five Irish business owners on the island this week, to recognize their dedication and contribution to the local community. “Our municipality beats in the heart of the vast majority of Irish people and this is thanks to the work of people who have managed to make every Irishman who arrives on our island feel at home,” said the mayor, who thanked them for their “perseverance and resilience” in the different economic situations of recent decades.”
The five are Mai Blake, from Irish Harbour Bar, Shey and Kathleen Byrne, from Paddy’s Bar, Gilbert Browne, from Spinnekar Bar, Gerry Flannigan, from Nelly’s Bar and John Killeen, from Lanzarote Investments.
Tinajo To Create Cenotaph To Mahos
The Cabildo has announced a project to create a cenotaph in Tinajo, paying tribute to The Mahos, the indigenous people of Lanzarote. The proposal aims to pay tribute to the Mahos, valuing their historical legacy and their contribution to the culture of the island. The cenotaph will be erected as a symbol of respect and historical memory, becoming a space for reflection and recognition of the aboriginal past of Lanzarote.
Call For Pharmacy At Airport
The Cabdilo will mediate with AENA, the airport authority, with a commitment to creating a pharmacy at Lanzarote Airport. The original pharmacy there closed a number of years ago.
Italian Resident Suffers Brutal Beating
Salvatore Sinagra, a 30 year resident from Italy, was brutally beaten in an altercation in Puerto del Carmen at around 11PM last Saturday. The aggressor, a 25 year old Canarian man, with a criminal record, has been arrested and is awaiting a court appearance. Salvatore suffered a brain injury after numerous punches were landed, and is in an induced coma, after being transferred to hospital in Las Palmas.
Cabildo Completes Purchase Of El Mercadillo
The historic building in Arrecife’s Calle Leon y Castillo, known as El Mercadillo, has been purchased by The Cabildo. The building will be restored and preserved, and the aim is to create a space on the two storeys to showcase Canarian food and produce.
We’ll add more news here as it comes in……
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