Hotels in Canary Islands fight back against taxes amid fears of falling tourist numbers this summer

HOTEL owners in the Canaries are asking for an investment of €100million (£87million) a year to the island's tourism infrastructure to stop holidaymakers flocking to rivals Egypt and Turkey.

President of the Federation of Hotel and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas, José María Mañaricúa claims that tourist bookings for Gran Canaria this summer have already reduced by 25 per cent.

It’s claimed that bookings for Tenerife are down by 22 per cent.

José has urged the Canary government not introduce of a tourist tax, cap tourism numbers or raise airport taxes which has previously been discussed.

He said: "Both the state and the Canary Islands government must invest in tourism infrastructure.

"Without tourism, Spain would not be coming out of this terrible crisis."

José says the government should recognise what tourism has done for Spain and the Canaries and the wealth incoming money has created.

He said money from taxes has to be reinvested into the island and the amount should return to the pre-crisis days of around €100million (£87million) per year in the Canary Islands "to make the destination more competitive."

The federation says Brits are already being lost to the resurging markets of Egypt and Turkey.

José said: "It will be more difficult to compete so we need more support for air connectivity and no increase in airport taxes.

"We ask the Popular Party not to implement a tourist tax or speak of the limitation of tourists in the Canary Islands, when you see that the islands are beginning to lose visitors," he said.

"It is absurd to talk about limiting the number of tourists when figures are falling. We must tell the people the reality and the truth."

"We must fight for better air connectivity, to renew public and private infrastructures and to continue working to make the Canary Islands a leading destination for the future."