Tenerife President Carlos Alonso’s Christmas and New Year’s message 2015

[Janet]

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As 2014 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to give the men and women of this island a Christmas message full of optimism and excitement at the arrival of new times. Let the hope of Christmas inspire us throughout the coming year so that each individual wish may become a common goal for a better tomorrow.

It is time to look to the future with the certainty that it will bring us more and better opportunities to push forward our project for the island that we want to do all together with visionary thinking.

We have worked very hard for the last few years, tightening our belts, to fulfill our obligations and achieve healthy figures that will allow the Cabildo to become the island's true economic driving force in 2015.

My main goal since I took on this responsibility has been to reduce the high rates of unemployment that we still have and to make it easier to find a job. If in 2014 we have implemented an employment plan with a budget of three million euros to employ over 1,500 people, in 2015 we have budgeted over 8 million euros for such invaluable initiatives as the Neighbourhoods for Employment scheme and aid for small and medium size businesses, the handcraft sector and hiring staff to improve Protected Areas.

The engine is running and we will step on the accelerator. We are in action for employment and we can see on the streets, in the squares and buildings that we are improving different parts of the island. Added to this are the 400 actions planned for next year. Each step, every little action that improves our environment generates dynamism, activity and employment.

During 2015 we will continue to battle in the forums that still have debts pending with this island and if other public administrations do not want to or cannot meet these commitments, it will be up to us to step forward again to defend the interests of our people. Because people are our priority.

But this New Year will be particularly special for Tenerife and for the Cabildo because finally an old aspiration will be fulfilled and soon we shall take over responsibility for the icon which we all love the most - our Father Teide. The commitment that I take on today over such a special place and on behalf of the entire Island Government is to preserve this heritage and conserve it in the best possible condition for future generations. This is our obligation and our highest duty.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all!

Carlos Alonso Rodríguez
President
Tenerife Cabildo

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

And they plan to start charging us for visiting our Father.

[Janet]

no ... that was a tabloid-ish headline. You will have noted that I posted nothing of the ilk, nor even anything related ...

Visiting El Teide will remain free. All that will be charged for are guided tours, some specialist stuff inluding exhibition ...

Teide remains free despite attempts to talk up "they're gonna charge us" . They aren't ...

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Better not.  I get a resident discount anyway.