The municipality of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, the epicenter of tourism in southern Gran Canaria and home to the Maspalomas resort, has achieved a "zero debt" status in its public accounts at the close of 2024. According to the latest financial data, the council maintains a total debt of zero euros, a figure that contrasts sharply with the liabilities accumulated just over a decade ago, when the financial pressure on citizens was significantly higher.
This comprehensive restructuring of the municipal finances represents a milestone for local government in the south of the island, especially when considering the historical data. In 2010, the municipality had a total debt of €27.430.000, which amounted to a burden of €515 per inhabitant. The peak of indebtedness was reached in 2009, when the figure climbed to €30.784.000, placing the per capita debt at €590, the highest figure in the last sixteen years.
The deleveraging strategy has allowed the municipality to free up resources at a crucial time for the destination's competitiveness. While in 2011 the debt stood at €24.209.000 (€443 per inhabitant), the council achieved a drastic reduction by 2014, when for the first time the debt reached zero. Despite slight increases in subsequent years, such as the €819.000 recorded in 2015 or the €355.000 in 2018, the trend has been one of almost absolute fiscal stability.
Currently, with a population of 54.976, San Bartolomé de Tirajana boasts a robust financial health that aligns with the destination's high profitability profile. According to data from Promotur 2025, the island receives an average expenditure of €1.498 per trip, a figure that rises to €1.739 for package tourists arriving in the south. The absence of financial debt, set at zero euros by 2024, places the municipality in a competitive position to undertake the sustainability and infrastructure modernization investments demanded by the hotel sector.
This financial stability also acts as a safety net in the face of the new European Union regulatory framework for package holidays. With healthy finances and zero per capita debt, the City Council has greater flexibility to guarantee public services in an area that handles 26 percent of all tourists in the Canary Islands. The challenge for the coming years will be maintaining this fiscal balance while managing the growing demands of a market that, although it generates high revenues, also shows increasing sensitivity regarding overcrowding and the cleanliness of tourist areas.
