The Canary Islands are a popular destination for British holidaymakers and bookings remain strong despite planned protests that will target tourism hotspots this season
Some Brits have pledged to stay away from the Canary Islands ahead of mass protests and a radical overhaul of tourism laws.
In recent years there have been growing demonstrations across Spain, with locals marching against the influx of tourists in the Canary Islands in particular. The island chain is only growing in popularity, despite many protests led by locals who say the Canaries cannot cope.
In 2024, the Canary Islands saw a record 17.9 million visitors, a combination of international and domestic tourists. This included 15.5 million international tourists, a 10% increase from the previous year, and around 1.8 million domestic tourists from mainland Spain.
This year activists – who argue that house prices are too high, roads too busy and the way of life being eroded by mass-tourism – have pledged to target popular tourist hotspots, disrupt public events and “confront political leaders”.
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A fresh campaign is set to commence from May 18. “From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated,” declared activist group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit).
“We will boycott public events, confront political leaders during their appearances and occupy symbolic tourist spaces to make it clear that we will not stop until real change is achieved. The Canary Islands can no longer be a postcard backdrop for the enjoyment of a privileged few.”
In a separate warning, the group said: “This cry, which reflects the feelings of a people tired of being ignored and mistreated, will be the beginning of a new stage of struggle: firmer, more direct, more uncomfortable for those who refuse to listen to us and take real measures.” The backlash follows a 170,000-strong hotel and restaurant workers’ strike across the islands just days ago. Locals criticised low wages and poor working conditions, despite the booming nature of the holiday industry.
The Canary Islands local government has announced plans to tackle issues at the heart of the protests. Although it has not gone into specifics, Jessica de León, the Canary Islands’ Minister of Tourism and Employment, has said the reforms would be sweeping.
“The new regulation must align with today’s social and environmental realities, correcting outdated elements and integrating changes from national and regional rulings, including Constitutional Court decisions,” she said. A new legal framework is expected to roll out over the coming months. It will set tougher planning and building standards, tighten rules on holiday rentals, and introduce the regulation for campsites and outdoor tourism.
This week de León said she was “completely in agreement” with a speech made by an opposition politician that the growing popularity of Morocco as a tourist destination was a threat to the Canaries.
“We do not have 18 million tourists on the payroll, we have to earn every tourist that comes to the Canary Islands by hard work, we have built a leading tourism industry,” de León said. She acknowledged that Morocco “is a rising competitor” and that, in addition, it is making an “obvious and notable increase in investment in tourism” with the roadmap set on the 2030 World Cup .
Despite the protests that hit the islands last year and those which are planned for the months ahead, booking figures show that tourists are still keen to visit the Canaries. However, some individuals have told the Mirror that they are planning to stay away.
One reader told us: “I am happy not to visit. Whilst I can understand their frustrations this will end up backfiring on the protesters. No tourists equals no jobs. Plenty of other places to visit.”
Another added: “I am perplexed when they say ‘don’t come anymore’. Who are ‘they’? If people stop going to the Canaries, their whole economy will collapse. I really don’t get how these places can survive without visitors?”
Others expressed sympathy for the working people in the Canaries who have to put up with issues that stem from overtourism. One reader explained: “We are going to Lanzarote again next week. We love it there! However, I think the government licensing laws for holiday accommodation does not consider local people.
“We live in Cornwall and have a similar problem. Local people can’t afford to buy homes here due to second home owners and holiday let companies. Seasonal tourism is good for the economy, but the winter is dead so locals jobs are scarce. Whereas the Canaries can have all year round business. Us Brits can’t guarantee sunshine even in the summer and love to escape to the places that can, just for a short while.”
Another sympathetic Brit added: “You have to feel some sympathy with the Islanders, they need tourism, but they need the right kind of tourism. All-inclusives kill the local economy, however at the same time they need to manage the costs charged and the amount of tourists that can be on the island at the same time.”