The current tourism model in the Canary Islands “no longer works” and has brought the archipelago “on the verge of collapse”, according to an activist.
Néstor Marrero Rodriguez, a member of the Tenerife ‘Friends of Nature’ Association (ATAN) said the attitude of many locals towards mass tourism has changed in recent years.
He told Express.co.uk: “The islands are on the verge of collapse and people are very tired of the tourist model. The propaganda that the public administration does to clean up the face of the model no longer works and people hate the tourist model.
“Everywhere there is a proliferation of graffiti saying ‘tourist go home’, ‘only local’ or ‘tourist not welcome’. A few years ago this was unthinkable, but now it is a reality.”
Tenerife alone welcomes an average of five million tourists every year, while the Canary Islands as a whole counted nearly 14 million visitors in 2023 – many of whom were British.
But instead of bringing wealth to locals, this overtourism is only filling up the pockets of tourism giants, some locals have lamented.
Instead, the huge waves of tourists are being blamed, at least partially, for the deep housing crisis engulfing the Canaries, the high poverty rates and the strain placed on the environment and local infrastructures.
The Canary Islands need “quality tourists who respect the environment and the local culture”, the activist added, claiming locals would not feel much of a difference if visitors decided to boycott the archipelago.
The ATAN member said: “The current model leaves hardly any profit in the Canary Islands. If tourists stopped coming, the main people affected would be the privileged groups that control the tourism model.
“However, rental prices would be reduced, there would be no need to cut water supplies to the local population, and so on.”
Accusing the Canaries government of “hardly listening” to the complaints and struggles voiced by locals, Mr Marrero Rodriguez added: “A series of actions such as hunger strikes, demonstrations, strikes, artistic actions, and so on will be initiated.”
ATAN is one of the associations on the archipelago organising an upcoming protest against overtourism. Set for April 20, this demonstration is expected to be attended by many residents on the islands.
Earlier this month, the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, had called for “common sense”, saying tourism is the “main source of employment and wealth” for the local economy.
However, earlier this week Mr Clavijo sided with protesters and called for a rise in salaries in the tourism sector to “democratise the wealth” it generates.
