Lolina Negrín urges Canary Islands Government to advance plans for new Open Commercial Areas in Morro Jable, El Charco, El Cotillo and Betancuria

Fuerteventura Island Council hopes the Canary Islands Government will make progress on assessing applications from several municipalities to create new Open Commercial Areas (ZCAs) and expand some of those already in place.

Morro Jable, El Cotillo, El Charco and Betancuria are among the proposals submitted to the regional government, while Gran Tarajal is seeking to expand its existing commercial area.

In an interview with La Voz de Fuerteventura, Negrín said representatives of the island council, the town councils and the Canary Islands Government’s Directorate General for Trade had visited several commercial areas on the island to learn about their needs and consider the municipalities’ proposals.

She said Pájara Town Council had proposed a new Open Commercial Area at the entrance to Morro Jable, while La Oliva had put forward a proposal concerning El Cotillo.

In Puerto del Rosario, one of the requests is for El Charco to be recognised as an Open Commercial Area.

Gran Tarajal, meanwhile, is seeking to expand its existing commercial area. Betancuria is also hoping to have an area formally designated, as it has businesses but no recognised Open Commercial Area.

Negrín said the applications had been channelled through the relevant commercial coordination body and submitted to the Canary Islands Government for assessment. She added that the regional government had committed to reviewing the requests, although the study has yet to be carried out.

Recognition as an Open Commercial Area can help businesses access funding to improve commercial spaces and develop initiatives to boost economic activity.

Yo Compro en Fuerteventura channels €740,000 into Fuerteventura small businesses

The councillor also highlighted the launch of the fifth edition of the Yo Compro en Fuerteventura campaign, which aims to encourage people to shop at the island’s businesses and support families.

Vouchers will go on sale on Tuesday 10 November at 12 noon via yocomproenfuerteventura.com.

Each voucher will cost consumers €10 but can be used to make purchases worth €20 at participating businesses. Each person can buy up to 15 vouchers, paying €150 for €300 worth of shopping.

The island council is allocating €400,000 from its own funds to this fifth edition. Negrín said the campaign would bring approximately €742,000 to local businesses, taking into account contributions from the institution and consumers, once administrative costs have been deducted.

At the time of the interview, 144 businesses had registered on the platform, the councillor said. That figure could rise, as businesses can continue to join while the campaign is under way.

The vouchers can be redeemed until 20 January 2027, so the scheme will cover Christmas shopping and the first weeks of the new year.

Negrín said the campaign was one of the most eagerly awaited by Fuerteventura’s businesses and consumers, who ask about it throughout the year.

Challenges facing small businesses as online shopping grows

The councillor also discussed the difficulties facing small and medium-sized businesses in Fuerteventura, particularly delays in transporting goods and customs procedures.

The interview addressed cases where traders receive products after a sales campaign has ended, while online shopping platforms continue to gain ground.

Negrín acknowledged that this was one of the issues having the greatest impact on local businesses. She said talks were under way with the Canary Islands Government to seek solutions, with the Chamber of Commerce also involved.

Asked about the state of Fuerteventura’s commercial sector, the island councillor admitted that her department did not have its own statistics on business closures and that its responsibilities focused mainly on initiatives to boost commercial activity.

In this area, she highlighted agreements between the island council, town councils and business associations to run campaigns tailored to each locality’s needs, as well as support for the digitalisation of small businesses, another key request from the sector.