Oil drilling is considered a danger for tourism in the Canary Islands

Pic: Cleanoceanproject

The Canary Islands is one of Britain's most popular holiday destinations. However, these islands may lose their attraction to foreign tourists because of a decision to drill for oil less than 40 miles off the coastline. Local businesses and travel companies believe that there is a risk to the business of tourism in the islands. They see drilling for oil as a threat to tourists who look for the clean beaches and clean water that are found on and around these islands.

More than 2.6 million Britons visit the Canaries every year and the seven islands are famed for their 365 days of sunshine. Repsol, the Spanish oil and gas giant, has been given permission by the Spanish government to prospect for oil near Lanzarote and Fuerteventura despite strong local opposition. The regional government of the Canaries has mounted a legal challenge against the project, saying that drilling for oil threatens its most important industry, which is tourism. This region is Spain's second most popular tourism destination after Catalonia.

Inhabitants and business owners as well as major tour operators have voiced concerns that drilling could affect tourism and wildlife along the famous coastlines, particularly if there were an oil spill. ABTA, The Travel Association, and the UK Tour operators' Federation have also written to the Spanish government expressing concern about the decision.

In a letter sent to Jose Manuel Soria, the Minister of Industry, Energy and Tourism, the organisations voice their 'great preoccupation' about the effects the decision will have on the tourist industry in the Canaries.

The Canary Islands are one of the key tourist destinations not only for the United Kingdom but also for other European countries and the prospecting and possible drilling for oil could cause considerable damage to tourism in this region.

Say whether the following sentences are TRUE or FALSE according to the text. Copy the evidence from the text. No marks will be given without the evidence.

a) – Waters surrounding the Canaries are polluted.

b) – No other Spanish region gets more tourists than the Canaries.

c) – The regional government seems to be very much in favour of the project.

Choose ONLY THREE of the following words and write a synonym (=), an opposite ( ≠), a definition or a sentence (only one of these four) to show that you understand their meaning in the text. Use your own words.

a) – threat (line 4) d) – particularly (line 14)

b) – prospect (line 9) e) – voice (line 18)

c) – mounted (line 10) f) – considerable (line 22)