Canary Islands to Regulate Motorhome Tourism

The Canary Islands Government is preparing to introduce new rules for outdoor tourist accommodation. This move aims to end the lack of clear regulations that has affected local councils in managing caravan and motorhome tourism. The regional government announced that this measure will bring more legal certainty for both local authorities and for people who use and promote this type of travel.

These new rules are expected to start in April or May. They will give local councils the power to decide where, how many, and how big specific areas for motorhomes and caravans should be. The regional rules will only set out the minimum required facilities, such as water points, toilets, and waste disposal. However, they will not specify the exact location of these facilities.

This initiative follows repeated calls from Ashotel, the tourism business association, which has been asking for rules to manage touring tourism in the Islands since 2019. Most recently in February, Ashotel urged the Canarian Federation of Municipalities (Fecam) to develop common rules. Ashotel has highlighted that the increase in motorhomes and caravans has caused major issues with traffic, parking, resident access, and general community harmony in the archipelago.

By approving these regulations, the regional government is addressing a dual demand: from the tourism business sector and from motorhome/caravan user groups. Both groups agree on the need for consistent laws. The challenge now is whether local councils in the Canary Islands can effectively take on and manage the new powers and responsibilities given to them for organizing caravan and motorhome tourism.