The San Bartolomé de Tirajana Council has approved plans to award the management of sunbeds and parasols on Maspalomas beaches to a private company, bringing an end to more than 15 years of legal uncertainty surrounding the service.
The decision, approved unanimously by the municipality's Beaches Council, will see the service operated under a new public concession after years of being run under an expired contract.
Maspalomas, one of the Canary Islands' busiest tourist destinations and the municipality with the third-highest number of overnight stays in the archipelago, had previously considered bringing the service back under public management. However, councillors have now opted for a concession model instead.
New concession aims to improve service
According to the Council's Tourism and Beaches Department, outsourcing the day-to-day operation will improve efficiency while allowing the local authority to retain overall control of the service.
Officials say the arrangement will also reduce the administrative burden on the Council, with the successful operator taking responsibility for managing the service and its associated business risks.
The Council has sought to reassure current employees, confirming that the future contract will include provisions to protect jobs. Existing staff will transfer to the new operator under the same employment conditions, with all current labour rights preserved.
Councillor Yilenia Vega said the concession model offers the best balance between legal certainty, service quality and employment protection.
She added that the next step will be to complete the administrative process so the beach service finally operates within a stable legal framework suited to a leading international tourist destination.
Modernisation plans for the beaches
Tourism Councillor Alejandro Marichal described the decision as part of a wider strategy to modernise Maspalomas. He said that, for more than 15 years, one of the resort's most visible tourist services had continued to operate without a valid contract, something the Council was determined to resolve.
The Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Businesses of Las Palmas (FEHT) has backed the move, saying it believes private management will help improve service standards for visitors. The current concession operator has also expressed support for the proposal.
Once the new concession has been awarded, the Council also plans to launch a design competition to modernise the appearance of the beach kiosks, sunbeds and parasols across the municipality.
A long-running issue finally addressed
The management of Maspalomas' beach facilities has been in limbo for decades.
The service was brought under Council control in 1995 before being provisionally awarded to a private operator in 1999 while a long-term solution was considered.
That temporary arrangement continued for more than two decades. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 further complicated matters, as emergency legislation prevented the expired contract from being renewed.
Although the Council announced plans in 2021 to municipalise the service through its public company, disagreements delayed the proposal and the existing operator continued managing the beaches.
The approval of the new concession process marks the first major step towards putting the service on a permanent legal footing and is expected to pave the way for improved facilities for the millions of visitors who use Maspalomas' beaches each year.
