UK holidaymakers planning to visit Lanzarote and Tenerife after April 20 have been warned about potential protests by locals. Residents of the Canary Islands, including Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma, are set to hold a massive protest against overtourism in the hotspots.
The president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, has called for "common sense", reminding everyone that tourism is the "main source of employment and wealth" for the local economy, reports Birmingham Live. He said that tourists "come to enjoy themselves, to spend a few days and to leave their money in the Canary Islands". He also urged protesters to "be responsible in this action", as UK tourists bring in millions every spring and summer.
He told reporters: "What we cannot do is attack our main source of employment and wealth, because that would be irresponsible," adding that people should show "common sense and calm". Meanwhile, Asociacion Tinerfena de Amigos de la Naturaleza (ATAN), a Gran Canaria urban development group, released a statement saying: "The situation is alarming."
Locals are calling for the government to put measures in to combat overtourism (AFP/Getty Images)"Despite the record increase in tourists, poverty continues to rise. The biodiversity and natural spaces of the islands are suffering unprecedented deterioration, while the search for housing has become an increasingly difficult task." The protests have left UK tourists being warned to expect a "frosty atmosphere" if they're visiting this year.
''Journeys by road that used to last a few minutes can easily now take up to an hour and a half, contributing to general transportation chaos. Furthermore, the declaration of a water emergency in Tenerife and the daily discharge of more than 50 million litres of sewage into the sea in Tenerife alone are unequivocal signs of an unsustainable and unbearable model,'' the association added.
Barcelona city breaks set to become more expensive for Brits from 2024
Responding to the protests, one social media user wrote: "The only people to blame for over-development, congestion, lack of infrastructure, essential services and the destruction of the environment is the Canary Island government. It approved building hotel complexes and 'new tourist towns, bars, restaurants, tourist attractions and water parks."
"It failed to build enough housing for locals, adequate essential infrastructure, roads and public transport. They are happy to take the income/rates/taxes that tourism brings, but don't want to spend that money to solve these problems."
Tensions have been rising in recent months, with leaders in Tenerife just this week calling for calm amidst locals' anger. The warnings came regarding the demonstrations on April 20th. In recent months locals have increasingly called for a crackdown on tourism numbers, including demanding a tourism tax and stricter restrictions.
There have been fears that the popular islands are on the brink of collapse as they struggle to cope with tourism numbers. In Palm-Mar, a small town on the southern side of the island, residents and visitors woke up to messages graffitied on walls including 'Tourists go home,' 'My misery your paradise,' and 'Average salary in Canary Islands is 1,200', in a move that The Canarian Weekly dubbed 'tourismphobia'.
Check out by signing up to our free weekly newsletter.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
