09 April 2024 , 09:54
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Brits heading to the Canary Islands have been warned of upcoming anti-tourism protests taking place across Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and La Palma.
The demonstrations in the Spanish hotspots are currently scheduled to kick off on April 20, with fake 'closed due to overtourism' signs reportedly being put up in parts of Lanzarote, where environmentalists say the island is being ruined by its own success.
Tensions have been building for months, and in Tenerife specifically, graffiti has appeared in parts of the island warning visitors to 'go home'. In Palm-Mar, residents and visitors woke up to messages last month graffitied on walls which included urging tourists to 'go home' and adding that 'my misery, your paradise'.
Residents say the islands are struggling to cope with the effects of overtourism (AFP via Getty Images)Leaders on the island have already called for calm amidst locals' anger as the mass protests were first announced. Organisers say they're not demonstrating against tourism or tourists, but against the saturation of the islands and the lack of measures to protect them from the growth of this industry that has a major impact on natural spaces and local resources.
Meanwhile, residents have increasingly urged for authorities to crackdown on tourism numbers, for example by 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.
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However, some residents have stressed they have nothing against individual tourists, but rather want to raise awareness of the impact of overtourism on the island.
Ivan Cerdena Molina, a tech worker who is helping to organise the upcoming protest as part of his role at local conservation group ATAN, told the Olive Press news outlet: "We have nothing against individual tourists but the industry is growing and growing and using up so many resources and the island cannot cope."
However, he added that it is tourism giants that locals think are "consuming the island", for example with holiday rental platforms leaving a housing crisis with some residents having to live in their cars.
He added: "The benefits of the industry are not trickling down to everyday people, whose salaries have not increased in years, the quality of life here is collapsing."
Some locals have claimed to have been pushed out of their homes by landlords wanting to turn their properties into tourism rentals, while others simply can't afford the costs of rent, pushed up by the tourists' demand.
Earlier this month the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, called for "common sense", adding that tourism is the "main source of employment and wealth" for the local economy. 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.
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