PLAYA DEL INGLES – “We have already had a few cases from guests who tell us that they are not going to return,” said the story of Carlos Trujillo. He owns two apartment complexes in Playa del Inglés, Canarias7, and is very worried about the thefts in Gran Canaria.
Like Trujillo, more hoteliers and shopkeepers in the south of Gran Canaria complain about the increased number of thefts. This has increased since the flow of tourists has been normalised again after the pandemic. They demand more police presence and control. Playa del Inglés in Maspalomas in particular, one of the most popular tourist areas on the island, is struggling with an increase in incidents. Tourists and entrepreneurs in entertainment and shopping areas in particular are the targets of pickpockets and theft.
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“Abandoned tourist skeletons”
There is also much criticism of the dilapidated shopping centres or the areas that are in a state of ruin, as is the case with the metro. This ‘Centro Comercial’ dates from the sixties and has been waiting for the demolition ball for a while. The dilapidated state in which those areas are in attracts people with less good intentions. Moreover, it is bad for the image of the city.
Other less structurally damaged, but just as outdated zones are the Plaza and the Kasbah, in the heart of Playa del Inglés. These are classified by Trujillo as “abandoned tourist skeletons” where criminals seek refuge.
The complaints of owners of the area are shared by the federation of hospitality and tourism of Las Palmas (Feht). The chairman of the Tourism and Security Committee of the Feht, Tom Smulders, also demands reinforcement of the order forces in the area. “There are many more tourists and thieves come to the honey as bees,” said Smulders.
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