Hotels from four islands will be integrated into the Canarian network of climate shelters

The Official Gazette of the Canary Islands publishes this Friday, November 13, 2026, the General Protocol of Action between the Department of Ecological Transition and Energy of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Hotel and Extra-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro (Ashotel) to integrate spaces from hotel and extra-hotel establishments into the Canarian Network of Climate Shelters. The publication is ordered by the Resolution of October 27, 2026, of the Vice-Minister of Ecological Transition, Fight against Climate Change, and Energy, Julieta Cristina Schallenberg Rodríguez, and includes the text of the agreement and its three annexes.

The agreement was signed in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on October 21, 2026, by Minister Mariano Hernández Zapata and the president of Ashotel, Jorge A. Marichal González, representing the association with CIF G38019055. The protocol is of a legal-administrative nature, does not generate obligations or economic consideration for the parties, and is published under article 20.1 of Decree 11/2019, of February 11, and article 10.1.f) of Decree 1/2026, of January 26, which approves the Organic Regulation of the Department.

An open network for extreme heat episodes

The purpose of the protocol is to coordinate cooperation between the regional Administration and Ashotel to publish the spaces adhered to the Ashotel Climate Shelter brand within the Canarian Network of Climate Shelters, which will be activated as welcoming places for citizens during adverse weather phenomena and extreme temperatures. The list of shelters is an “open and dynamic” instrument, in permanent update as new spaces are identified.

The invoked framework is Law 6/2022, of December 27, on climate change and energy transition of the Canary Islands, modified by Decree-law 5/2024, of June 24, which establishes in its article 3.1.d) the purpose of mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. The text recalls that the urban heat island phenomenon can exceed a 10 ºC difference between urban zones and rural areas, and that IPCC projections anticipate a global temperature increase exceeding 1.5 ºC by the end of the 21st century.

Differentiated technical requirements

The publishable shelters are divided into two categories, with their own minimum criteria:

• Indoor shelters: free of charge and universal accessibility, thermal comfort and air quality, free hydration points, stay and rest areas, adapted toilets, and availability and scheduling flexibility.
• Outdoor shelters: free of charge and universal accessibility, thermal comfort and heat buffering, free hydration points, stay and rest areas, nearby public toilets, and a suitable environment in a good state of conservation.
• Indoor examples in the tourism sector: climate-controlled halls or receptions, lounges, and other covered and conditioned common spaces.
• Outdoor examples: shaded gardens, terraces with pergolas or awnings, wooded areas of the premises, and patios sheltered from the sun.

The location of the spaces will be disseminated through the viewer of Cartográfica de Canarias, S.A. (GRAFCAN), a regional public company, at the link https://visor.grafcan.es/.

Voluntary adherence and four-year validity

The incorporation of establishments is free and voluntary. Ashotel will identify and communicate to the Department the adhering establishments that meet the requirements, will ensure the maintenance of the conditions, and will provide the necessary information for their integration and publication; the Department reserves the right to carry out technical checks.

Withdrawals are also voluntary and are processed through Annex III, with an ideal estimated notice period of 6 months for planning purposes. The other two models are Annex I, the letter of adherence and authorization for the publication of spaces, and Annex II, the responsible declaration regarding access, thermal comfort, hydration, and security.

The protocol will be in effect for four years from its signing, extendable expressly for up to another four, and may be terminated by mutual agreement or by written resignation communicated at least one month in advance. Furthermore, a coordination and dialogue space is planned, co-chaired by each party and composed of four members on a parity basis.

The measure extends climate adaptation to the tourism sector, the main economic engine of the archipelago, and offers residents and visitors identifiable and free shelter points during heatwaves and episodes of intense calima (dust haze). The Canary Islands record general averages of 22 ºC in winter and 26 ºC in summer, with high solar radiation that limits the use of open public spaces, as noted by the protocol itself.

Source: Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, no. 228, of November 13, 2026, section III. Other Resolutions, pages 41328-41338 (official reference: boc-a-2026-228-3951).