Hermigua's banana and tourism sectors call for housing for their seasonal workers

A valley that lives off bananas and rural tourism

Hermigua combines a traditional farming economy with expanding rural tourism.

Seasonal workers who cannot find accommodation

Workers on the harvest season struggle to find accommodation nearby.

Rural tourism competing for the same homes

Part of the traditional housing stock has been converted into rural tourist accommodation.

Business proposals on the table

Plans are being considered to set up temporary accommodation for agricultural seasonal workers.

A valley shaped by bananas and rural tourism

Hermigua is known in La Gomera for its extensive banana plantations, an activity that has for years coexisted with expanding rural tourism, drawn by the valley's landscape and its proximity to Garajonay National Park. Farm business owners acknowledge that both activities now compete for the same resources, including housing available for their workers. Some estate owners have opted to combine farming with small tourist lets on the same properties. This dual economic role, they say, makes it harder to find a balance that satisfies both the primary and tourism sectors.

Seasonal workers with nowhere to stay

During the banana harvest, Hermigua's farms need extra labour, which in many cases comes from outside the municipality or even from other islands. These temporary workers face serious difficulty finding short-term accommodation at reasonable prices, especially during the months when tourist demand also rises. Some farmers have begun converting old farm buildings to house their seasonal workers, though they acknowledge not every operation has that option. The lack of suitable accommodation, they warn, is making it increasingly difficult to build the workforce needed for the harvest.

Rural tourism is taking over traditional homes

Much of Hermigua's traditional housing stock, with its characteristic stone houses and gabled roofs, has in recent years been converted into rural tourist accommodation, drawn by the returns this use offers over a stable residential let. Owners who have chosen this route say tourist occupancy, especially in spring and summer, far exceeds what they would earn from renting permanently to a neighbour or worker. This trend further reduces the housing available to those who work in the municipality all year round. Hermigua residents acknowledge that it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a traditional rental home in the heart of the valley.

Business proposals to set up temporary accommodation

Associations representing agricultural and tourism businesses in Hermigua have proposed to the Cabildo of La Gomera that municipal land be released to build temporary accommodation specifically for seasonal workers. The proposal draws on models applied in other farming areas of the Canary Islands, where this type of facility has helped cover peaks in labour demand. The Cabildo has shown willingness to study the initiative, though it has not set a timeline or location for any eventual project. Business owners in the valley insist that, without a short-term solution, some harvest seasons could be affected by a shortage of available workers.