Protests against overtourism in the Canary Islands

Thousands of people took to the streets in the holiday resorts of the Canary Islands last Sunday to protest against mass tourism, which they blame for displacing the local population from the housing market. Under the slogan 'The Canary Islands have a limit', residents gathered simultaneously on Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, and El Hierro to demand a change in the tourism model for the islands. In Playa de las Americas on Tenerife, protesters demonstrated on the beach while tourists enjoyed the sun, chanting: 'This beach belongs to us.' The activists emphasized that the arrival of millions of visitors each year depletes limited natural resources such as water and harms the environment. According to the Spanish government, at least 8,000 people participated in the protests. Between January and September, the Canary Islands recorded 9.9 million tourists, representing a 10.3% increase compared to the same period in 2023 according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute. The population of the islands was 2.2 million last year. 'We need a change in the tourism model so that it leaves wealth here and recognizes the value of this beautiful landscape,' expressed Sara Lopez, 32, on Sunday in Gran Canaria. Spain, heavily reliant on tourism, has already witnessed a series of protests against mass tourism this year in Barcelona and other popular destinations such as Mallorca and Malaga. As a result, the regional government of the Canary Islands has drafted a law, set to be passed this year, to tighten regulations on short-term rentals. Newly built properties are to be excluded from the short-term rental market, and owners with a permit will have five years to meet requirements such as the neighbors' right to appeal these permits. On Saturday, hundreds of protesters also took to the streets in Valencia, demanding affordable housing, as tourist rental apartments drove up prices.