Adeje new regulations on timeshare selling

[Janet]

Adeje Ayuntamiento has approved a "timeshare" bylaw, in its words "to protect visitors and residents from harassment by sellers of this type of tourist product". Concejal responsable de Urbanismo, José María Álvarez Acosta, explained that in a 5* destination like Adeje the authorities were obliged to ensure visitors were comfortable and relaxed, particularly since such visitors were the principal economic motor, and particularly in crisis times when they should be encouraged above all. The Ayuntamiento therefore decided to regulate the activity, which saw tourists being hounded and disturbed.

With immediate effect, any business seeking to carry out this commercial activity must acquire a municipal licence and pay the relevant local taxes before starting selling. The Ayuntamiento says that besides monetary fines of up to €3,000 for breaking the bylaw, sanctions could include suspension of licences – perhaps even permanent bans from acquiring one. It emphasises that the main aims of the new regulations are to crack down on the techniques used to gain clients, and aggressive or deceptive publicity.

As such, the first official target will be agents handing out promotional literature in the streets: these will be reduced in number, and allowed only to operate between 10am and 8pm, and even then only in certain areas. They will not be permitted to approach the public on the beaches, in pedestrian walkways, near loading areas, or in transport hubs like bus stations or taxi ranks. They will, moreover, have to wear a uniform in a style fixed by the Ayuntamiento and carry an official permit card. They will only be allowed to offer information, not sell directly, and may only refer to holiday products located within Adeje alone.

Other regulations concern the types of contracts permitted to be issued within Adeje's boundaries for those who are interested in buying these products – contracts will have to be submitted for approval by businesses when they apply for an Ayuntamiento licence; the types of businesses which may apply for them – prior certification must also be acquired from Turismo showing their inscription as a legal tourism business; their employment status and ongoing relation with the people employed in the streets to get clients in for a sales pitch; and the payment of a bond to the Ayuntamiento of €5,000 per street seller employed.

The Ayuntamiento says that providing all is in order with an application, they commit to the issue of a licence within a month. These will be valid for between six months and a year, at which point they will have to be renewed. JA

[Nova]

Those conditions sound like they should kill the scratch card brigade completely and about time too!  Though to begin with they'll most likely just be pushed over the boundary into Arona....

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

I hope they pass the same in Guía.  Good job Adeje.

[Delderek]

Those conditions sound like they should kill the scratch card brigade completely and about time too!  Though to begin with they'll most likely just be pushed over the boundary into Arona....

But didn't Arona ban the touts from the streets a few years ago?

[Janet]

well it was the PRs, and it was a bylaw just stopping them harrassing peeps on the pavements. And Arona's useles. This Adeje thing is bloody serious!

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Well Janet do you think serious in a good or bad way?  I don't go to tourist areas in Adeje if I can possibly avoid it but based on prior experience read your first post thinking it was great news for those who simply want to walk down the street in peace.  Personally I don't want anyone handing me anything* or trying to engage me in conversation for any reason.  So that's why I'm intrigued by your response.

* exception made for person on 3m stilts the other day in Las Galletas.  The very act of leaning over to offer me a flyer for a race put them in mortal++ danger and I did admire them for the effort. 

++ EDIT:  change moral (!) to mortal.  Apologies!

[Janet]

I mean they're serious about it in a very good way ... for the peace of mind of anyone who wants not to be molested as they go about whatever it is they're doing. I can't abide these touts, and have known people driving around looking for couples and jumping out of a car and effectively manhandling people in to drive them off to a "presentation" where they'll "win a prize" ...

They're under pressure to perform, of course, so although it's work I myself couldn't do, I understand they're under pressure. This is why I think Adeje's measures are particularly good, in that they are primarily aimed at those who run these businesses and put these touts on the streets in the first place.

[Myrtle Hogan-Lance]

Long ago we adopted a phrase:  no speeka de English.  Amazing how confused they became, and you could escape during the confusion.   

[Nova]

Once you convince them you live here they're no longer interested, that's always been the case. They also only target couples and I had a hard time once trying to convince a tout that I wasn't with the guy who had been walking a little in front of me as I walked onto their radar.

The other thing I used to do was reply by trying to sell them a bank loan or a credit card or even just try to get them to open an account. They don't like it up 'em 

[NAH]

Easiest answer...don't reply when they speak to you...just pretend they must be talking to someone else or that you don't understand them.

We once had one say to us 'Are you from England?', we did not reply, 'France?', we ignored her, 'Germany?', again we did not respond 'Another planet'....we did laugh as we made our easy escape by simply continuing to walk.

Not sure if it's still true but back in the days when there were hundreds of touts if you didn't stop walking they would only tag along with you for so long before they left you and returned to their spot on the pavement. I think it was for fear of stepping foot on another touts section of pavement.