UK tourists warned that Canary Islands has 'reached its limit’

Tourists in the Canary Islands have been warned that the holiday destination has ‘reached its limit’ and should not be treated ‘like a theme park’ as thousands of protestors descended upon holidaymakers on Sunday, October 20. Demonstrators even took to the beaches in Tenerife in the latest protests organised by anti-tourism movements. According to local news site Europa Press, “at least 8,000” people gathered in Tenerife and Gran Canaria over the weekend.

The demonstrations were organised by the platform ‘Canary Islands has a limit’ which calls for more sustainable tourism models to be implemented. Protestors have raised concerns over the impact of mass-tourism across the Canary Islands, a longstanding holiday destination among Brits and other European visitors. The environmental impact of tourism and the effect of holiday rentals on the housing market are among the main issues highlighted by demonstrators.



READ MORE: Anti-tourist protesters storm beach and surround sunbathing holidaymakers Yesterday the protests took place around lunchtime in key tourist hotspots: Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), Las Américas (Tenerife), Corralejo (Fuerteventura), Puerto del Carmen (Lanzarote), Los Llanos de Aridane (La Palma) and Valverde (El Hierro). Demonstrators chanted slogans such as “The Canary Islands are not for sale” and “We are foreigners in our land”. Demonstrators marched through tourism hotspots (Image: Anadolu via Getty Images) The latest protests come after demonstrations held on April 20, which saw thousands of people take to the streets of the Islands.

Similar protests have been held across other Spanish holiday destinations throughout the spring and summer, including Majorca. In a statement the organiser of the protests said that the current tourism model is leading to inequality within the islands. Protestors have said that they are not against tourists or those who make a living from tourism, but rather the model that “exploits” the workers and the land.

The platform said: “By protesting in tourist areas we are directly communicating to those who visit the Canary Islands that the current tourism model is unsustainable and harmful to our land and our lives.” In Tenerife, tourists sunbathed on the beach when protestors marched past. Demonstrators shouted slogans like “the Canaries are not for sale” and “more tourists, more misery”, Canarian Weekly reports .

Many tourists watched on from hotel balconies, while some ironically “blew kisses” at the protestors. For the most part demonstrations were peaceful, but the police were briefly involved when a protester placed a sticker over a hotel plaque, which caused some “tension” and “anger among the crowd”. For more of today's top stories, click here.

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