Ahead of mass ‘anti-tourism’ protests in the Canary Islands, locals there say that they ‘love’ British people and that tourists are welcome – but that the money isn’t trickling down and the number of rental homes is destroying the market for those living on the archipelago.
Anti-tourism protests are set to take place across the Canary Islands of Tenerife Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma on April 20.
Activists and environmentalists warned last week that locals are being forced to live in their cars – and even caves – due to the impact of major tourism operators, who are ‘consuming’ the area.
Ahead of the protests, Tenerife locals and tour operators on the island said British tourists are still ‘very welcome’ and that the real issue is a lack of housing, with protestors calling on the government to take action.
Speaking to On the Beach travel agency, Tenerife local Samantha Hasala said: ‘People here are fighting, protesting because there are a lot of people – homeowners – who just rent out [their properties] for vacation and that’s destroying the market for us living here.
Anti-tourism protests are set to take place across the Canary Islands of Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and La Palma on April 20 (Placard reads: Canarias not for sale)
Tenerife local Samantha Hasala, pictured, said the protests are ‘not really about British people’
‘A lot of people are saying generally “we don’t want tourists here anymore”, but it’s not really about British people. It’s just because most of our tourists are British. We love British people.’
The booking manager, who works at Columbus Aparthotel on the island’s south coast, added: ‘There are a lot of people who say “they are always drunk” but come on, [it’s] holidays. I think that’s the spirit. Everybody deserves a holiday and they are just having fun. They don’t destroy anything so, for me, it’s fine.’
Jamie Lucas, a 39-year-old excursions seller, who has been living on Tenerife for six years, told British tourists ‘don’t be afraid’.
He added: ‘That seems to be the narrative at the moment, that tourists aren’t welcome. This is not true and no one feels like that here. It’s not about tourism.’
Isabel Ferraira, reservations manager at Tenerife’s Laguna Park Hotels, put tensions down to the lack of affordable housing and low wages in the Canary Islands.
‘The population has increased a lot so we don’t have houses for everybody, so the prices go up and the wages are very low,’ she said. ‘That’s our problem, but it’s not against tourists.’
Tenerife residents say that British tourists remain ‘very welcome’ despite anti-tourism campaigns taking place across the Canary Islands. Pictured: Las Teresitas beach, Tenerife
Echoing her sentiments, Las Piramides Resort manager Yusuf said Britons are ‘good tourists’ and ‘very welcome’. The protests, he said, are due to affordable housing shortages for local people and congestion on the roads.
‘The government has to do its job a little bit better. They are moving very slowly here, not so well,’ he added.
While Arunsu Hdez, from Tenerife, said that protestors are calling for ‘the government to take action’ for locals in Tenerife and ‘not for British people to not come’.
Las Piramides Resort manager Yusuf, above, said Britons are ‘good tourists’ and that the protests are due to affordable housing shortages for local people and road congestion
Jamie Lucas (above), a 39-year-old excursions seller, who has been living on Tenerife for six years, told British tourists ‘don’t be afraid’
Among Tenerife’s main draws for British people is the ‘great all-year-round weather and the cheap pints’, which cost £2.58 on average, according to On the Beach.
Despite the protests, the number of holidaymakers travelling to the Canaries for winter holidays in 2024 increased 15 per cent year on year, it added.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach, said: ‘We were concerned with the news reports surfacing from Tenerife about anti-tourist graffiti and angry locals.
‘Tenerife has always been a welcoming and popular hotspot for Brits so we sent a team out there to speak to locals direct. Turns out it’s not the Brits that they’re unhappy with – it’s their own government.
‘So our advice to anyone thinking of booking a holiday to the island is don’t be put off – hot weather, ice-cold drinks and fantastic hotels await with even friendlier locals.’
