The candidate of Nueva Canarias for the Presidency of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Yoné Caraballo, has proposed a moratorium on the island's tourist growth to ease pressure on land, housing, and public services.
The candidate of Nueva Canarias-Bloque Canarista (NC-BC) for the Presidency of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, Yoné Caraballo, proposed this Thursday to establish a moratorium on the island's tourist growth. In a statement, Caraballo asserted that "Lanzarote needs to stop and breathe" before "it stops recognising itself." The measure would involve suspending the granting of new licenses for accommodation until balance is restored between population, territory, and economy.
The origin of the problem: the growth of tourist beds
Caraballo attributes the population increase recorded over the last two decades to the tourism development model promoted, in his view, by various administrations, based on the continuous increase of accommodation beds and tourist activity. "Lanzarote has not grown for no reason. The population has increased because for years there has been a commitment to an economic model that has needed to incorporate thousands of workers to sustain permanent tourist growth," he states.
The deputy argues that the debate over a possible residency law addresses "the consequences and not the origin of the problem," as long as the growth of tourist capacity continues, it will remain necessary to attract labour. For Caraballo, the key is to halt tourist expansion before the island collapses.
Criticism of Coalición Canaria and alternatives
The candidate accuses Coalición Canaria of having favoured "a model based on increasing tourist beds without measuring its consequences on land, housing, or public services." As an alternative, Caraballo proposes a moratorium on tourist development that allows for a reflection process on the island's future. "We need to stop to decide. Stop the growth in tourist beds until we recover the balance between population, territory, and economy," he points out.
"Lanzarote needs to breathe, plan, and decide what model it wants for future generations. It is not about being against tourism; it is about setting limits to ensure that the island remains habitable for those of us who live here," Caraballo declared.
The candidate concludes that "the time has come to ask ourselves how much more Lanzarote can bear." "The answer does not lie in continuing to grow, but in protecting our territory, our quality of life, and our future," he asserts. The proposal comes in the context of increasing tourist pressure in the Canaries, where the debate on the limits of the economic model is more alive than ever.
How does this proposal affect residents?
For the residents of Lanzarote, a tourist moratorium could translate into less pressure on the housing market, currently strained by the demand for holiday rentals and the arrival of foreign workers. It would also alleviate the saturation of public services such as healthcare or education, which have been struggling with deficits for years. Caraballo insists that the measure is not "anti-tourism," but a necessary pause to plan for sustainable development.
The proposal is part of the electoral campaign for the Cabildo elections in Lanzarote. So far, there is no specific date for its debate, but the candidate has indicated that he will bring the initiative to the plenary if elected. In the meantime, citizens can consult the details of the moratorium on the Nueva Canarias website.
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