An association which represents hotels in Tenerife has once again demanded change at the island’s airport where huge queues for passport control and taxis continue to cause chaos
As holidaymakers prepare to jet off for a festive break and some winter sun, their hopes of a relaxing trip to Tenerife could be anything but with huge delays at the major airport. Those lucky enough to be able to escape the madness of Christmas and the dull British winter weather may have booked themselves a trip to the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. However a break at the holiday hotspot may not be as relaxing as sun seekers might hope.
The island’s main airport has seen queues hours long at passport control and once weary passengers have battled through those, they often face more exhausting waits for taxis onto their longed-for destinations. Not exactly the start to a holiday anyone wants.
The situation has been ongoing for some time now and there are warnings that it’s showing no signs of improving, with local hoteliers concerned about the impact it could have on tourism long-term. Ashotel, the association which represents hotel employers, has called for urgent action to resolve the issues at Tenerife South Airport before holidaymakers decide the island is a no-go and stop going altogether.
In a report Ashotel raised their concerns over the serious congestion at the airport and highlighted the issues it believes is causing the problems. As reported by Canarian Weekly, it claimed there were only two police officers at passport checks and stamping checks and that self-service machines are out of action, which was leading to the hours-long queues at passport control.
In a press release Ashotel said: “This scenario is unacceptable at a top-tier tourist destination. On November 7th, for instance, only two of the four double passport control booths were operational, staffed by just two officers. Additionally, the 30 biometric self-service machines installed in zones A and B have remained non-functional.” Ashotel has reportedly sent an urgent letter to Anselmo Pestana, the Government Delegate in the Canary Islands, requesting a meeting with the National Police to address the crisis.
Adding to the woes of travellers are the long waits for a taxi outside the airport, which it says can be up to an hour. Ashotel says this is due to regulations that give exclusive rights to taxis from Granadilla de Abona to operate at Tenerife South Airport. Taxis and vehicles from other municipalities are reportedly forced to leave the airport empty after dropping off passengers. This means those waiting to get to their hotels or homes have no option but to wait in the queues.
The organisation is calling for the airport to have an unrestricted taxi service because it is a “sensitive” key transport hub. It also emphasised that Tenerife South handled 12.3 million passengers in 2023, making it the seventh-busiest airport in AENA’s network in Spain. It said the situation at passport control and at the taxi ranks was “unacceptable” and demanded immediate action to prevent further damage to the island’s reputation as a top tourist destination.
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