Teide National Park Secures €8.2M Contract, Expands Services

Teide National Park's visitor centers will operate under a new three-year contract for control and surveillance, valued at 8.2 million euros. This deal, an increase of 2.2 million euros from the previous one, has been awarded to the public company Tragsa by the Department of Natural Environment, as they are repeating the assignment. A new feature of this contract is the maintenance of the park's trails and viewpoints.

Under the new agreement, 43 workers – three more than currently – will be responsible for managing, cleaning, and controlling access at the centers. This ensures the continuity of services, which were set to expire this month, and guarantees "professionalized attention" for the park's facilities. The Cabildo will help fund this by using revenue from ticket sales at the Cañada Blanca Visitor Center.

President of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila, announced these details at a press conference, accompanied by the Minister of Culture, José Carlos Acha. She reaffirmed the commitment to conserving and properly managing Teide National Park. Dávila also mentioned that with the upcoming approval of a transfer decree and a new Master Plan for Use and Management (PRUG) – expected by late November or early December – the total number of agents in the park will increase to 17.

The team of 43 professionals, including technicians, guides, and foremen, will handle essential tasks. These include cleaning facilities, trails, and tracks; maintaining infrastructure like viewpoints; staffing visitor centers and the museum; and controlling access. These efforts aim to improve the visitor experience and protect the park's natural environment. The contract also covers work related to the EMAS Environmental Management System, which has been in place at Teide National Park since 2006. Additionally, it includes visitor monitoring and analysis, and processing data from meteorological stations, all crucial for rigorous, data-driven environmental management.

Rosa Dávila expects the Canary Islands Governing Council to "soon" approve the park's transfer decree, coinciding with the implementation of the Master Plan (PRUG). This plan received strong support from the National Board of National Parks, with 40 votes in favor and only 5 against. She stated, "we are now prepared to receive this complete transfer; we even approved the National Park's Staffing Plan (RPT), where the number of personnel is increased."

In addition to existing regional administration staff, 17 new environmental agents, mainly field staff, will be added, increasing their numbers from five to thirteen. Furthermore, a contract with Gesplan will assign 39 personnel to work 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The island president highlighted a budget increase of "more than eight million euros" for natural environment protection in 2026, partly thanks to a "green" or forestry tax. However, she criticized the central government for withdrawing ten million euros from European funds intended for this purpose. Dávila also pointed out that the island had not received any state funding after the large forest fire in Tenerife in 2023. She concluded by emphasizing the island government's work, asserting that environmental protection and protected areas on the island have seen a 50% increase compared to the previous socialist administration.