Mass tourism in the Canary Islands: Local protest loudly!

Mass tourism in the Canary Islands: Local protest loudly!

Teneriffa, Spanien - In the Canary Islands, there were massive protests against mass tourism, in which thousands of locals took to the streets. According to reports from Kosmo , demonstrators were active in several cities, among others in Tenerife and drawn attention to the considerable environmental pollution that tourism brings. They used drums and mussel horns and carried posters with provocative messages such as "My misery is your paradise" and "Tourists swim in shit".

The Initiative "Canarias Tiene Un Límite" calls for specific measures against the effects of tourism, including rising rental prices, environmental and resource loads as well as overcrowded traffic routes. Every year around 18 million tourists visit the archipelago, the population of which only has around 2.2 million people, which further reinforces the tensions between locals and vacationers.

demands of the protesting

The protesters not only require a stop for other hotel projects, but also the introduction of environmental taxes for tourists and restrictions on real estate acquisition by foreigners. These demands are also reflected in the slogans such as "The Canary Islands are not to be sold" and "Tourism increases my rent", which could be heard during the demonstrations. The island government offered talks with activists, but these have been rejected because the organizers demand specific measures to improve the situation.

In addition to the locals, which are concerned about their future in view of the increasing cost of living, some vacationers have also expressed concerns about their security and withdrawn in their accommodations. The police claim that around 20,000 people took part in the protests is in contrast to the estimates of the organizers who speak of almost 50,000 participants.

tourism between needs and sustainability

The protests on the Canary Islands are not isolated, but reflect a growing tourism skepticism throughout Spain. Similar movements have already been registered in Barcelona and Mallorca, where the residents also complain about rising rental prices and pollution. The pressure on the authorities is growing to find a sustainable middle ground between the economic dependence on tourism and the growing concerns of the local population.

The economic importance of tourism is unavoidable in the Canary Islands; It accounts for about 35% of the archipelago of the archipelago. But the dark side of this dependency is evident in the social inequality and the overload of natural resources. According to Plant value , sustainable tourism is required that takes into account both ecological and social and cultural aspects.

The latest protests illustrate the urgent need to recognize the negative effects of mass tourism and to develop suitable strategies in order to effectively meet the challenges in front of which the Canary Islands are facing.