Thousands take to streets in Tenerife to protest against mass tourism
Demonstrators call for temporary limit on tourist arrivals to stem boom in short-term holiday rentals and hotel construction that is driving up housing costs for locals
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Thousands of people have taken to the streets in Spain's Canary Islands to protest against mass tourism.
Demonstrators were on Saturday calling for Tenerife 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 reading "People live here" and "We don't want to see our island die", campaigners said changes must be made to the tourism industry that accounts for 35 per cent of gross domestic product (GDP) 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 said 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.
"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," said Antonio Bullon, one of the protest leaders.
The archipelago of 2.2 million people was visited by nearly 14 million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13 per cent from the previous year, according to official data.
Authorities in the islands are concerned about the impact on locals.
A draft law expected to pass this year toughening the rules on short lets follows complaints from residents priced out of the housing market.
Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo said on Friday 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.
Additional reporting by Reuters
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments