The political landscape of Gran Canaria is shifting under a tectonic plate of uncertainty. The mayor of Mogán, Onalia Bueno, has announced an appeal to the Supreme Court against the ruling by the High Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC) that abolished her tourist tax. The ruling, which sided with the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Businesses of Las Palmas (FEHT), has closed—for now—the chapter on a tax that the business association labeled "inappropriate" and "essentially a tax" disguised as a fee. But behind this legal conflict lies a long-term clash.
The FEHT (Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Businesses) celebrates the court ruling as a victory for legal certainty. Their argument has been unwavering: municipalities lack the authority to create taxes on overnight stays, a power reserved for regional or national legislatures. Furthermore, business owners point to the excessive tax burden borne by a sector that already contributes nearly 40% of IGIC (Canary Islands General Indirect Tax) revenue. According to the employers' association, the Mogán tax constituted double taxation that eroded the destination's competitiveness.
The political landscape is shifting with the rise of Onalia Bueno. Her upcoming integration into the People's Party, coupled with her ability to mobilize votes in southern Gran Canaria, positions her as a key figure in the island council. Bueno's leap into island power is altering the dynamics of the relationship between the hotel sector and the island government.
Business leaders, accustomed to institutional dialogue under traditional norms, view with suspicion the arrival of a mayor who does not hesitate to challenge existing regulations or confront the sector's tax structure. The FEHT (Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Businesses) faces a paradox: while celebrating its legal victory in Mogán, it observes how its main antagonist in this battle could gain influence and room to maneuver within the Gran Canaria Island Council.
Bueno insists that her tax wasn't a revenue-generating measure, but rather a mechanism to correct the imbalance in basic services such as the integrated water cycle and waste management, costs that local residents have borne until now. The mayor is paving the way before the Supreme Court with an eye on the future. If the move to the Island Council materializes with the ambition she projects, the tourism sector could cease negotiating with a local council and instead contend with a new island-wide power structure. The risk for the industry is real: the legal conflict in Mogán could be just the dress rehearsal for a new era in tourism tax policies in Gran Canaria.
