Yaiza Castilla, the regional tourism minister, has been talking to the tourism boroughs about the protocols that need to be agreed before we reopen the islands
28 april 2020
The regional department of tourism, industry and commerce took part in a discussion yesterday with the AMTC, the association of Canarian tourism boroughs. The online meeting was about beginning to work on a series of plans and protocols that need to be established and agreed by all relevant bodies before the sector can begin to operate again in the island.
Minster Yaiza Castilla spoke to the AMTC president José Miguel Rodriguez Fraga (also mayor of Adeje) and vice president Onalia Bueno, as well as Emilio Navarro of FECAM, the federation of Canarian boroughs. On the agenda was the need for a redesign in protocols in every area of the sector in order to offer sanitation security for tourists and residents as part of the planning for the reopening of the destination, with all the guarantees needed in place.
The minister told the representatives that the regional government was setting up a supervisory body and would be hoping for a high level of participation and transparency and inclusion from private and public institutions – from local government departments to trade unions etc. The body will be establishing the new ‘tourism security protocols against Covid-19’ and was counting upon the participation of the AMTC body.
The association also told the minister of the huge importance thy were placing on the issue of client traceability, and that there must be a guarantee of adequate testing of tourists in the country of origin, something that would have to happen in parallel with the new protocols in place here.
The regional government are looking for the participation of all relevant bodies and professionals, implications for the taxi and bus companies who collect tourists from the airports, hotels, sanitation of rooms and cleaning protocols, control of food and drink preparation and serving, social distance measures in restaurant and bars, the use of sunbeds, how excursions will be organised, night-time pursuits, car rental, and a long list of other relevant bodies where there are potential points of contact.
As the minister commented, “we have to change things, introduce new ways of doing things that are hygienic, secure and of the highest quality.
