Canary Islands holiday fears latest with ‘not a free bar' tourist alert amid ‘severe' 3-hotspot accommodation issue

The Irish Sun

28-05-2025

THE President of the Canary Islands has insisted that his government welcomes holidaymakers but warned: "We are not a free bar."
Punters heading for Spain face another summer of chaos as an
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Holidaymakers cowered in hotel rooms and awkwardly watched from the sidelines as residents kicked off anti-tourism demonstrations
Credit: Alamy Live News
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Hostile messages against foreigners and tourists written on public walls are on the rise
Credit: Canarian Weekly
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Fears are growing that the movement could become more hateful
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Canarian Islands president Fernando Clavijo has insisted the government is not against tourism
Credit: Getty
Thousands
across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura
, with around 23,000 chanting: "The Canaries has a limit."
Lanzarote locals
Canarian Coalition leader Fernando Clavijo yesterday said that while his government welcomes tourists, uncontrolled numbers won't be allowed enter the islands at the expense of locals and the environment.
READ MORE IN HOLIDAY PROTESTS
He said: "We will never be against tourism."
But he warned that the islands must be protected so that "our children and grandchildren can live here".
He continued: "We are firmly in favour of the Canary Islands and fair working conditions.
"Of the €25billion that the tourism sector brings in, the more that stays here, the better."
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He said the Canary Islands government "rolls out the red carpet" for people who wants to invest in the area and generate wealth, but their job is to ensure "this wealth is distributed fairly".
Despite pushback on tourism from officials and locals alike, Irish bars in Lanzarote claim
Anti-tourist mob attacks holidaymakers with water guns as they vow Spain faces 'long hot summer' of protest carnage
Rebecca Flanagan, from Nelly's Irish Bar in the Old Town of Puerto del Carmen, said there is "definitely no decrease in Irish tourists" since the
She told The Irish Sun: "The Canarian people are not protesting against tourism, they are protesting because a lot of tourists have bought up the homes on the island as holiday homes, which has increased the price of accommodation.
"We are all short staffed because of the lack of long term rentals, a lot of these holiday lets have no licence, so no tax is being paid."
Rebecca said around 85 per cent of people on the island of
However, many have been left frustrated and feel hard done by as they can no longer afford high rents and house prices.
She said: "They love the tourist industry but are just frustrated that they can't afford to own a house and their children will definitely not be able to afford a house.
"I have two children who were born here, 18 and 16, they will both be leaving the island to go to mainland Spain to study and they will probably never be able to afford a property here."
More than one million foreign tourists visit the Canary Islands each month, compared to a local population of 2.2 million, according to official data.
And Spain, which had a record number of tourist arrivals in 2024, expects even more visitors this year.
When it comes to running a business in the Canary Islands, Rebecca said there has been little difference in their trade.
She said: "As far as the business goes we are lucky, we are doing well with a good repeat trade so the demonstrations haven't affected us."
STRIKE CHAOS
Hotel workers in the Balearic islands are also
And amid the unrest over tourism numbers, new Airbnb rules are due to kick in in Spain after latest figures showed that the average cost of rent has doubled, with property prices increasing by a staggering 44 per cent over the past decade.
The country is calling for the removal of thousands of holiday listings from the
A
n estimated 65,935
Airbnb
not including their license number, not specifying if the owner was an individual or a
Locals have been arguing that the rise in Airbnb and holiday lets was adding to the
She explained: "The impact will be most severe in tourist hotspots like
"Many unlicensed properties will disappear from platforms, while remaining listings will face stricter regulations and registration requirements.
"Tourists will need to adapt to this new, more regulated market."
If you have already booked an Airbnb for the
And it may also lead to price hikes in
ANOTHER BLOW
Spain is also slapping a new 21 per cent VAT on short term rentals, which is more than double the current rate for hotels at 10 per cent.
This introduction will discourage short term rentals for less than 30 days, prioritising long-term residential stability for locals in the hopes of fixing the housing crisis in the country.
Holidaymakers earlier this month cowered in hotel rooms and awkwardly watched from the sidelines as
Dozens of armed officers from the National
Sunseekers were
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'Tourists Go Home' slogans across the south of Tenerife
Credit: Canarian Weekly
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Around 50 people gather in front of the Sagrada Familia under the slogan "Canarias tiene un limite" ("The Canary Islands have a limit") in Barcelona, Spain on May 18
Credit: Getty Images - Getty
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Thousands of locals march along the seafront overlooking the city beach in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria
Credit: Alamy Live News