Anti-tourism protests in Canary Islands
Protests on Sunday in Spain’s Canary Islands saw thousands of people take to the streets against overtourism
The protests, held on the popular tourist destination islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and El Hierro, call for changes to how the tourism industry operates in the archipelago.
At least 8,000 people are believed to have participated in the demonstrations, some of which were near major tourist hotspots.
According to a report by Reuters, in one incident protesters were spotted on Playa de las Americas beach in Tenerife chanting “This beach is ours” close to tourists.
Protesters say that the millions of tourists who visit the islands each year are depleting limited natural resources such as water, damaging the local environment, and raising house prices beyond the reach of local people.
According to figures from the Spanish National Statistics Institute, 9.9 million tourists visited the Canary Islands between January and September – a 10.3% increase over the same period in 2023. The figure dwarfs the islands’ local population of 2.2 million.
The Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) recently warned that anti-tourism protests in some parts of Europe may force cruise lines to avoid some destinations.
Oliver Cuenca
Oliver Cuenca is a Junior Editor for Voyageur Group, joining in 2021. He writes for both ITIJ and AirMed&Rescue, covering a range of topics including international travel and health insurance, medical assistance provision and air medical transportation. He also serves as Title Editor of the Assistance & Repatriation Reviews. Oliver holds an MA in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University, as well as a BA in English with Creative Writing from Falmouth University.