Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago, is renowned for its breathtaking landscapes, azure waters, and vibrant culture. Citizens of the Canary Islands in Spain staged a large-scale protest against the detrimental impacts of mass tourism in the streets. What began as isolated grievances has escalated into a full-fledged protest movement.
Protests In Canary Islands
Huge demonstrations ongoing in the Canary Islands, against overtourism, environmental destruction, housing crisis. pic.twitter.com/3uB9lykcfs
— 🌋 ⵙⴰⵎ @quilombo.bsky.social (@quilombosfera) April 20, 2024
On Saturday, tens of thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Canary Islands in Spain, calling for changes to the mass tourist model that they claim is overtaking the Atlantic archipelago. Protestors with the banner “The Canary Islands have a limit” crowded the streets. The protests took place in the principal towns on all seven of the archipelago’s islands.
According to estimates in Spanish media, an estimated 57,000 individuals participated in the protests. They carried a sea of posters and banners with inscriptions like ‘The Canary Islands are not up for sale!’ and ‘A moratorium on tourism,’ while some just stated, “Respect my home,” while chanting. Approximately twenty social and environmental organizations called for the protests, claiming that the overcrowding of tourists feeds an unsustainable business model that hurts both the environment and local people. To preserve the environment and curb the selling of houses to non-residents, they have suggested that the government impose a limit on the number of visitors.
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Protests Have Been Continuing Against Over-Tourism
The people of the Canary Islands are protesting against the illegal inmigration that literally has destroyed their lives.
But now is too late.
There is no going back.
They looked the other way for years.
They will have to explain it to their children
pic.twitter.com/5HinvhfbYH— Jose Muniz (@joseletemuniz) April 20, 2024
The Canary Islands have a population of about 2.2 million. But last year, the islands saw 16 million visitors. This is more than seven times that number—which the group claims is unsustainable given the archipelago’s limited resources.
Authorities are attempting to balance the interests of locals and tourists. As a result. there has been a recent surge in anti-tourism protests in Spain, the second-most visited country in the world. Millions of tourists visit the islands each year, drawn by their year-round sunlight and famous volcanic vistas. Tourism is a sector that employs four out of ten citizens and contributes 36% of the island’s GDP.
Protests against overtourism were underway in Spain. They were particularly evident in Barcelona, before the pandemic’s devastating effects on the world tourist sector in 2020. Following the relaxation of travel restrictions, tourism soared, with Spain hosting a record 85.1 million tourists last year.
Cover image credits: Canva