Angry Canary Islands residents stormed a tourism industry conference on Sunday, blowing horns and chanting in protest at the impact of the ever-increasing number of holidaymakers descending on the archipelago each year. Building on a slogan that was deployed during the waves of anti-tourism protests that swept Spain last summer, the locals told industry chiefs: “The Canary Islands are not for sale, they are loved and defended.”
The crowds in Tenerife’s capital called for “less cement and more foundations” amid constantly rising housing costs that are a result of Spain’s booming short-term holiday let industry, with previously residential homes being turned over to Airbnb landlords. To make matters worse, what new housing is being built will often be earmarked for the lucrative tourism market – which has caused the archipelago’s authorities to consider a 10-year ban on such developments.
However, with a record-breaking 18 million holidaymakers choosing the Canary Islands as a destination last year, despite the loud protests telling tourists to “go home,” local housing is not the only one feeling the strain. As highlighted by one of the many banners being waved outside the conference, even the archipelago’s plumbing cannot handle the strain, with five simple words stating: “Tourists are swimming in s***.”
According to environmental activists, the islands have seen an uptick in sewage discharges into their glittering blue seas. In Tenerife alone, there were more than 200 active sewage outflows along its coastline as a result of these increased visitor numbers.
But these protests, mostly organised by the Canarias tiene un límites’ (Canary Islands have a limit) group, have done little to stem the tide of holidaymakers visiting the islands, with some now calling for a total pause on further development. Overtourism activist Felipe Ravina told local media: “Absolutely nothing has changed after the huge demonstrations that took place last year, and we are here to demand that limits be placed on tourism, a tourism moratorium.”
The several dozen protesters in Santa Cruz de Tenerife demanded that “limits be set” on the sector to create a more sustainable tourism industry on the islands, which depend on visitors for over a third of their GDP.
Ravina argued: “We will be able to offer higher quality tourism and also (a better quality of life) for those of us who live here. Everyone is already suffering in some way from the consequences of mass tourism.”
The documentary filmmaker, who promised more protests in the coming holiday season, said the islands had changed beyond recognition. He explained: “Someone buys your property to make a holiday home, the place of a lifetime is transformed to make luxury villas, you go to the supermarket of a lifetime and you no longer hear Spanish spoken.”
On Saturday, a similar protest group gathered in the Balearics to organise further demonstrations for this summer, aiming to “regroup, double the effort” and raise awareness of local housing issues. The Mallorca-based protest group ‘Less Tourism, More Life’ stated its intent to repeat “the great mobilisation” that took place in July 2024, when beaches and other areas with lots of holidaymakers witnessed large crowds waving signs and demanding more action to combat the mass influx of tourists after the pandemic.
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