Thousands of people have protested against mass tourism in the Canary Islands of Spain. They called on authorities to limit the number of visitors to protect locals from soaring housing costs, traffic jams and overloaded services, UNN reports with reference to Reuters.
Details
It is noted that demonstrators under the slogan "The Canaries have a limit" took to the streets on all the main islands of the archipelago and in several cities of mainland Spain.
Tourism is very important for the Canary Islands, but we must be aware that the collapse is complete
His father owns a small island, which in 2023 the local administration issued an order for expropriation due to the approval of a luxury hotel complex project.
These 70 square meters that they want to confiscate are all my father has. His health deteriorated after it happened
The publication indicates that more than 1 million foreign tourists visit the Canary Islands every month. For comparison, the local population is 2.2 million people. At the same time, Spain, which had a record number of tourists in 2024, expects even more visitors this year.
"Spain has witnessed several protests against excessive numbers of tourists in other popular resorts, including Mallorca, Barcelona and Malaga. Similar demonstrations took place in the Canary Islands last year," the article said.
Context
The keen surge in the tourism industry in European countries that are "attractive for recreation" entails a shortage of housing for locals. Thus, recently residents of a number of European countries protested, demanding to find a "right balance" and insisting on limiting short-term rentals.