The Canaries are not introducing a tourist tax, but are betting on the conscience of tourists: can a voluntary model finance sustainability?

Canary experiment

Photo: Martijn Vonk, Unsplash

Author  Goran Rihelj

8. July 2026.
The Canary Islands are testing a model that could open a new debate in European tourism: does sustainability necessarily mean a new tax, or can part of the responsibility be transferred to a voluntary contribution from tourists and the tourism sector? Instead of a mandatory eco-tax, the archipelago is launching the REGNEXT fund for the restoration of nature and local communities. The idea is interesting, but also risky, because sustainability does not only depend on good...
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Author  Goran Rihelj

8. July 2026.