Thousands protest in Spain’s Canary Islands over mass tourism

Protesters took part in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife. PHOTO: REUTERS

SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE, Spain - Thousands of people protested in Tenerife on April 20, calling for the Spanish island to temporarily limit tourist arrivals to stem a boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is driving up housing costs for locals.

Holding placards that read “People live here” and “We don’t want to see our island die”, demonstrators said changes must be made to the tourism industry that accounts for 35 per cent of gross domestic product in the Canary Islands archipelago.

“It’s not a message against the tourist, but against a tourism model that doesn’t benefit this land and needs to be changed,” one of the protesters told Reuters, during the march in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

Smaller marches were held elsewhere in the island group and other Spanish cities, all of them organised by about two dozen environmental organisations ahead of the peak summer holiday season.

The organisations say local authorities should temporarily limit visitor numbers to alleviate pressure on the islands’ environment, infrastructure and housing stock, and put curbs on property purchases by foreigners.

Mr Antonio Bullon, one of the protest leaders, told Reuters: “The authorities must immediately stop this corrupt and destructive model that depletes the resources and makes the economy more precarious. The Canary Islands have limits and people’s patience, too.”

The archipelago of 2.2 million people was visited by nearly 14 million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13 per cent from 2022, according to official data.

The authorities in the islands are concerned about the impact on locals. A draft law expected to pass in 2024, toughening the rules on short lets, follows complaints from residents priced out of the housing market.

Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo said on April 19 he felt “proud” that the region was a leading Spanish tourist destination, but acknowledged that more controls were needed as the sector continues to grow.

“We can’t keep looking away. Otherwise, hotels will continue to open without any control,” he told a press conference. REUTERS

The Canary Islands, an archipelago of 2.2 million people, was visited by nearly 14 million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13 per cent from 2022. PHOTO: REUTERS

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