Tens of thousands of demonstrators hit the streets of Spain's Canary Islands to demand changes to the model of mass tourism they say is overwhelming the Atlantic archipelago.

Municipality of Las Palmas

Thousands of demonstrators recently took to the streets in Spain's Canary Islands, expressing their discontent with the current state of mass tourism affecting the region. The protests highlighted concerns over how the influx of tourists is impacting local life and the natural environment of this Atlantic archipelago. 

The protestors, many of whom carried flags, filled the streets to voice a need for change. They argue that the current tourism model financially benefits few while negatively affecting the broader community. Their grievances include the increase in vacation homes, which they say drives up local rents and makes it difficult for young people to afford living independently, particularly given the islands' geographic distance from mainland Europe.

The impact of tourism on the Canary Islands is profound, with the sector representing 36 percent of the local economy and employing 40 percent of its residents. Despite these economic benefits, residents are concerned about the sustainability of this model. Last year the islands welcomed approximately 16 million visitors, a figure more than seven times its resident population of 2.2 million. 

In addition to broader concerns, demonstrators specifically called for stopping the construction of two new hotels on Tenerife, the largest island in the archipelago. Among their complaints, protestors lamented the loss of heritage, the commodification of their land, and a sense of disenfranchisement within their own home as a result of the tourism industry.



Mass protests in Canary Islands decry overtourism

Flag-waving crowds packed the streets across Spain's Canary Islands. Organizers of the protests say mass tourism has perpetuated an economic model that harms local residents and are thus demanding that authorities limit the number of visitors. We are seeing vacation homes invading our villages, which is pushing up rents. Young people want to become independent, and we're finding it increasingly difficult as we're thousands of kilometers away from European territory. We Canarians are fed up with being second and third class citizens. We're fed up with overcrowding, with institutional mistreatment, with low salaries, with our heritage being destroyed, with our land being bought by foreigners because they have more money to buy the land of our grandparents that we have not been able to buy. Demonstrators also called for a halt to the work on two new hotels in Tenerife, the largest and most developed island. In the Canaries, tourism accounts for 36 percent of the economy and employs four out of ten residents. Nonetheless, the amount of tourists can be overwhelming. Last year, some 16 million people visited the archipelago, more than seven times its population of 2.2 million.

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