Teide National Park Proposes Strict 15-Person Limit for Film Shoots
New regulations for filming in Teide National Park propose a limit of 12 shoots per year with a maximum of 15 people per crew, a move criticized for being impractical and potentially deterring major productions.
The people in charge of planning our audiovisual industry's future have come up with a new idea: a rule for filming in Teide National Park. They're proposing to allow up to 12 film shoots per year. That's quite a lot, almost like rolling out the red carpet for Hollywood.
But wait, there's more. Film crews would be limited to a maximum of 15 people. Yes, just fifteen. This includes everyone – actors, crew, producers, maybe even a couple of confused tourists, and if there's space, a drone. Apparently, any more than that would cause the park to collapse.
And for the final touch, filming plans would be displayed publicly for three months on a notice board. You can just picture a Hollywood studio, with an $80 million budget, a cast of hard-to-schedule stars, and an army of lawyers, agents, and publicists... all queuing up to read their plans pinned next to an announcement for "yoga for seniors" organized by the local council.
What's most baffling is the inability to tell the difference between a small wedding photoshoot and a major international production. The brilliant minds behind this document seem to think that "filming" simply means "people with a camera."
Ironically, experienced film crews who have worked in natural settings for years and respect the environment usually don't cause problems. The real issues often come from unsupervised tourists, intrusive influencers, or impromptu sports events. But our planners aren't focused on that. They should be looking at unprofessional, inexperienced productions that pop up thanks to local incentives, but instead, they're making it harder for international shoots by imposing a 15-person limit, rather than checking who they're actually approving.
So, while other places are actively trying to attract big movie productions, we're still debating whether a Hollywood crew can film in Teide without following proper procedures and posting their plans publicly. It's no wonder major productions are choosing places like the Basque Country, Alicante, Galicia, or Morocco. It's either the unique charm of our region or, more likely, the obvious reasons. Yet, politicians love to talk about the booming audiovisual industry in the Canary Islands, even with bizarre presentations in Madrid that seem more like comedy shows.