The organisations said 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 the corrupt and destructive model that depletes resources and makes the economy more precarious. The Canary Islands have limits and people's patience too,” Antonio Bullon, a protest leader, told Reuters.
The archipelago of 2.2-million people was visited by nearly 14-million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13% from the year before, 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” the region was a leading Spanish tourist destination, but acknowledged 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.
Reuters
Europe
Spain’s Canary islanders march for controls on mass tourism
Ahead of this year’s peak tourist season, protesters demand a limit on visitor numbers and tighter rules around foreigners purchasing property
Image: Borja Suarez / Reuters
Thousands of people protested in Tenerife on Saturday, calling for the Spanish island 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”, demonstrators said changes must be made to the tourism industry that accounts for 35% of 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 protester told Reuters 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 organised by about two dozen environmental organisations ahead of the peak summer holiday season.
Image: Borja Suarez / Reuters
The organisations said 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 the corrupt and destructive model that depletes resources and makes the economy more precarious. The Canary Islands have limits and people's patience too,” Antonio Bullon, a protest leader, told Reuters.
The archipelago of 2.2-million people was visited by nearly 14-million foreign tourists in 2023, up 13% from the year before, 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” the region was a leading Spanish tourist destination, but acknowledged 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.
Reuters
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