Tenerife will bid to shrug off warnings from local protesters that “too many tourists” have invaded the island as they open a new shopping centre in a popular resort town. Costa Adeje, on the west coast of the Canary Island, sees more than one million visitors per year.
Data from 2022 shows that approximately 1,685,398 people travelled to see the area’s idyllic beaches that year alone. While the significant numbers have boosted the local economy, the area is not free from the growing discontent among locals saying tourists cause more harm than good.
Protesters have demanded that officials cease development of a new hotel, but a separate project plans to draw even more holidaymakers to the area. Costa Adeje will soon welcome a massive all-new shopping centre built to attract an exclusive audience.
The upcoming complex, named Las Fuentes, will spread over three floors and cover 12,000 square metres (39,370 square feet), 8,000 of which investors VA Finance state will be usable space.
When it opens, the mall will boast 90 fashion and food outlets showcasing local and international cuisine and even “high-end” nighttime establishments to cater to a specific audience. The cost, according to Spanish press, exceeds 4 million euros, equivalent to £3.4m.
The project is nearing development, now 90 percent complete, and its backers believe it will provide a net positive for Costa Adeje with hundreds of new jobs.
VA Finance representative Marianna Pomazkova told the Canarian Weekly it could create 900 “direct and indirect” employment opportunities. Ms Pomazkova added that Costa Adeje’s tourist scene was one of the reasons her firm decided to develop in the area.
She said: “For us, this investment represents a significant expansion of our current real estate and hospitality portfolio throughout Europe.
“After analysing many growing markets as potential investment targets, we have decided to come to Tenerife not only because of the island’s attractiveness as a year-round tourist destination but also, and very importantly, because we see a niche where we can serve the local population with a range of high-end lifestyle products.”
“Southern Tenerife, where Costa Adeje is located, is the epicentre of the island’s tourist activity. Destinations like Arona, Adeje, Granadilla, and San Miguel offer a wide variety of services and attractions for visitors.”
The new development will open as Tenerife residents protest other local developments.
Protesters have launched campaigns against the development of two hotels, Hotel La Tejita and Cuna del Alma, both in Puertito de Adeje, both of which were previously halted by the Canary Islands regional government on environmental grounds.
