FUMING locals have slammed selfish holidaymakers in Tenerife for turning their paradise into a ‘tourism ghetto’.

An influx of “ignorant” visitors has sparked outrage among Canary islands residents, as costs soar and drunken partygoers keep them up all night.

The Covid pandemic saw a boost in tourists arriving to the popular destination, and now locals are revolting in the wake of skyrocketing rent prices and overburdened services.

Some took to the streets with spray paint to sprawl bitter messages outside tourism hotspots which read “your paradise, our misery” and “tourists go home”.

Josua Garcia-Garcia is up in arms about the ongoing ordeal and told the MailOnline it is a “nightmare” when holidaymakers take over the island.

“I only get four hours of sleep every night because of the music and noise, which keeps me up until three in the morning,” explained the 33-year-old bar worker.

The frustrated local called for “stricter rules” to be enforced on “ignorant” tourists to prevent residents from more “suffering”.

“Rents are soaring and people on average salaries cannot afford to live here any more, once they pay their rent they have no money for food,” he continued.

It comes as more AirBnBs crop up across the island, driving residents out, with less properties on the market.

In turn, the price tag on remaining homes is becoming too expensive for those who want to stay.

And, Tenerife is not the only holiday destination struggling with this issue.

Locals in UK coastal resorts such as Devon and Cornwall have also blasted greedy tourists for snapping up second homes.

The issue worsened amid Covid as more Brits chose staycations over travelling abroad.

Last year, Canary Island residents held a protest against the arrival of more holidaymakers.

In what has been dubbed ‘tourismphobia’, they marched the streets holding banners which read “the Canaries are no longer a paradise” and “the Canaries are not for sale”.

Doctor Matías González Hernández, an academic at Las Palmas University, claimed locals faced homelessness.

He said they “can’t afford to rent or buy a house” due to rising inflation and rent prices.

More graffiti in the popular town of Las Palmas reflect this, and read “average salary in Canary Islands is 1,200,” which equates to £1,000.

The academic called on their government for better infrastructure to accommodate growing demands – such as improving roads.

“Right now you get stuck for two hours on the main road,” he said.

Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.

Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.

Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.

It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.

 Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.

The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.

The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.

Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.

The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.

Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.

Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.