Tenerife confirms date of new tax that will see tourists pay extra fee in 2025

Tenerife has confirmed plans to impose an extra fee which tourists will have to pay from next year.

The "eco tax" is set to come into force in January 2025, as confirmed by the council of Tenerife this past weekend. The aim of the charge is to make the holiday hotspot “a more sustainable and environmentally responsible space”, according to Tenerife's president Rosa Davila.

The exact cost of the tax has not been confirmed, but President Davila said it will apply to holidaymakers only, meaning residents will not be required to pay. It is understood the tax will be enforced on tourists visiting certain beauty spots and nature reserves, reports Manchester Evening News.

Announcing the news on Saturday on Twitter, Ms Davila said: “As of January 1, 2025, Tenerife will have an ecotax for tourists who visit the Island. An eco tax 100 per cent destined for the conservation, improvement and protection of our natural spaces. Residents of the island of Tenerife will NOT pay the ecotax to enjoy our spaces.”

It’s likely that the eco tax will take the form of entry fees, with money generated going towards the conservation and maintenance of Tenerife’s landscapes. The Canary Islands are home to biodiversity hotspots, many of which are fragile and there are concerns that too many visitors could damage these landscapes and habitats. The new eco-tax should help mitigate these concerns.

Although the eco-tax is only being imposed in Tenerife, it comes amid recent protests across the Spanish Islands against the government’s current tourism model. Residents have called for tourism to be managed more sustainably as numbers of visitors threaten the island’s infrastructure.

Earlier this month activists went on hunger strike in Tenerife, opposing the development of a new hotel and beach on the island as well as demanding a halt to all tourism development projects.

The news comes as tensions continue to mount between Canary Island locals and visitors, with the former calling for a crackdown on over-tourism. Last week, officials told UK holidaymakers who visit the island as part of budget getaways to go elsewhere, while the week before saw thousands take to protest mass tourism.

In contrast, a manager of a Scottish pub based in Tenerife claims that UK holidaymakers are selling up their holiday homes and scrapping their Tenerife trips, due to EU rule changes and rising costs.

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