Holidaymakers hiding in hotels as masses of anti-tourism protesters storm the streets in THREE Spanish cities
Holidaymakers are cowering in hotels as anti-tourism storm the streets of the Canary Islands, as fed up locals disrupt sunshine bliss for thousands of Brits abroad.
Thousands of fed-up locals kicked off demonstrations across the archipelago from 11am, including in Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Ela Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, and Lanzarote.
Dozens of armed officers from the National Police were seen on patrol, as protesters were heard blowing through enormous shells to make a loud horn-like noise, while banging on drums.
They marched with the slogan 'Canarias tiene un limite' (The Canaries has a limit, while slogan were chanted such as: 'El dinero del turismo, donde está?', meaning 'The money from tourism, where is it?'
Demonstrates have also taken to the streets in Barcelona, Valencia as well as Madrid, as tensions towards tourists have continued to rise over the last year.
In April, tourists fired water pistols at a tour bus outside Barcelona's Sagrada Familia, as they warned of bigger protests this summer.
Today in Lanzarote, an Irish holidaymakers revealed he was too scared to leave his AirBnB, as one furious tourist was spotted waste and sewerage on Canary Island politicians.
Alberto Babo, 32, told MailOnline: 'I didn't go out today due to the protests, I'm stuck in my Airbnb to avoid the crowds. I hope they are not violent or anything but just to be safe I'm here. All I can hear is the noise.'
One placard read: 'Stop excessive tourism… this is our home,' while another said: 'My misery is your paradise'. A banner declared the Canary Islands 'is no longer a paradise' thanks to tourism.
Another sign was inscribed with the words: 'tourists swim in s**t', referencing the large amount of sewage water that is dumped into the sea - the majority of it, activists say, coming from hotels and tourist accommodations.
Other placards in Spanish said: 'Don't sell your homes to guiris!' Guiri is a Spanish slang word for British and other tourists.
Demonstrators could also be heard shouting 'Canarias No Se Vende', meaning 'The Canary Islands Are Not For Sale,' while the blew whistles and proudly held Canary Island flags in the sky.
Marchers also echoed the chant 'No hay cams pa' tanto guiri', translating to 'There's not enough beds for so many foreigners.' While another placard read: 'Enjoying a day at your pool? That water could be going on food.'
According to Metro, there were initially 2,000 marchers expected to participate in the march this Sunday - a significantly lower number than an April protest against anti-tourism in Tenerife capital, Santa Cruz.
Holidaymakers looked on from rooftops as protesters marched by, as locals reportedly took the opportunity to pull the middle finger towards tourist, who allegedly did kissing gestures back.
Among the protesters is Paula McKnight Morales, 39, whose father is from the US but who grew up on the islands.
The swimming instructor told MailOnline: 'Spain has become the after party for Europe, and Tenerife has more tourists per year than Brazil, we don't have room.
'We are not against individual tourists, just those who don't respect the rules, who throw trash and pollute and commit crimes.
'We have toilets that are closed on our beaches because they are contaminated by sewage.
'Since our historic protest last year the government has done nothing, they have actually increased the number of tourists coming and we don't have enough room.
'The traffic is so bad when they are here; a 15 minute journey takes one hour.
'The number of Airbnbs is too high and there is nowhere to rent, it is catastrophic for the island.'
It comes after the Canary Islands government said it wants to hold emergency talks with the activists following a plunge in British bookings.
Santiago Sese, president of the region's Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern on Friday after revealing the number of British reservations for this summer have fallen by 8 per cent year-on-year in Tenerife.
Sese revealed the troubling numbers while presenting the Economic Situation Report for 2025, reports regional newspaper El Dia.
Tourism minister for Tenerife, Lope Alfonso, has since announced that he will reach out to the activists to 'discuss the future of the islands'.
Alfonso said the government has been working on a model to 'achieve a balance between the interests of residents and tourists.'
According to Sese, there are signs of a decline in the number of tourists, with the British market among the most affected.
He said competing countries like Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and neighbouring Morocco have all seen their bookings increase.
He regretted that the advertising campaigns specifically targeting the UK are not having an impact.
It follows a series of widely-reported 'anti-tourism' protests across Spain that have made many Brits feel unwelcome.
But the 'Canaries has a limit' (Canarias tiene un limite) movement, which is behind the protests this weekend, has seemingly rejected the olive branch.
Referencing the government's offer of a dialogue it wrote: 'Dialogue? We want facts.
'The rest are attempts to calm what's coming: a social uprising demanding a fair model for the Canary Islands, where bosses, lobbyists, and corrupt officials have no place. See you this Sunday.'
The Canary Islands has a population of 2.2million people, but welcomes around 18million holidaymakers each year - which locals say is placing a strain on resources, causing jet fuel pollution, traffic chaos and a host of other issues.
For this reason, activists are calling for a cap on the number of holidaymakers, to prevent overcrowding and resource depletion.
Among their other demands is a ban on any new hotels or tourism apartment complexes, and the immediate demolition of projects already declared illegal.
These include large-scale luxury projects like the Cuna del Alma and La Tejita hotels in Tenerife, which they accuse of causing environmental harm.
They also want a 'significant' tourist eco-tax that will be used to pay for the conservation and maintenance of natural spaces.
One of the biggest gripes is the surge in Airbnb-style properties, which has been blamed for rising house costs and the dwindling supply of homes to rent or buy.
Therefore, protesters want much stricter controls on vacation rentals to alleviate the housing crisis.
Another housing issue is the high number of properties being snapped up by foreign purchasers, which locals say is behind skyrocketing prices.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Only two-thirds of UK airports have scrapped 100ml limit – full list of where you can fly from with unlimited liquids
IF you have summer plans, you need to check this list of 10 UK airports which now let holidaymakers take 2 litres on liquid in hand luggage. Only two-thirds of international UK airports have scrapped the strict cap - which now lets tourists effectively take as much as they want. 2 The new rule is due to the implementation of new 3D security scanners, which have allowed several airports to axe the meagre 100ml limit. The 15 international airports in the UK are set to scrap the pesky 100ml rule. But so far, only two thirds of that list have adopted the new policy. This leaves 10 airports that have permitted the higher levels of liquid on board. Tourists now arriving or departing from the UK can expect faster security checks as new 3D CT scanners start to replace older systems. The infamous 100ml rule is now set to go, but the current number of airports that have enacted this policy is still limited. Cutting-edge technology will allow passengers to carry a whopping two litres of of liquids in their hand luggage - without needing to remove them at security. The new airports which will have this groundbreaking rule are Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Leeds, Bradford, London City, Luton, Newcastle, Southend and Teesside. For travellers going through any of these airports, liquids in containers of up to 100ml are still allowed. There is no restriction on the amount of liquids that can be carried in these containers. How the Passport Card Can Help You Fly Without a Real ID Passengers can keep their liquids in their hand luggage - which removes the need for a separate plastic bag. Holidaygoers can also leave electronics such as laptops inside their bags thanks to the new technology. The latest state-of-the-art CT scanners have been engineered with much better 3D imaging technology. Traditional X-ray machines produce two-dimensional images. But these new breakthrough scanners create a more detailed, rotatable 3D visualisation of your baggage. The 100ml limit was rolled out in 2006. Ever since, travellers have gotten accustomed to not bringing more than that amount on holiday. They were also condemned to opening their bags up every time they entered security checkpoints. But these revolutionary scanners are set to change this. International airports such as Glasgow, Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted and Liverpool are still yet to remove the strict limit. 2
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Spanish government's tourism warning after Airbnb ordered to remove thousands of rentals
The Spanish government has recently taken a firm stance against Airbnb, signalling that the country's economy and housing market are not a "free for all" where profit trumps regulation, a minister has said. Last month, authorities ordered Airbnb to remove almost 66,000 holiday rentals from its platform, citing violations of local regulations. These violations included failing to list license numbers, listing incorrect numbers, or not specifying the apartment's owner. Airbnb is currently appealing the decision. Spain, a popular global tourist destination, hosted a record 94 million international visitors last year. However, cities like Madrid and Barcelona are grappling with housing affordability issues, leading to increased resentment towards short-term holiday rentals, with Airbnb being a primary target of criticism. The Spanish government says the two are related: the rise of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies, and rising rents and housing costs. 'Obviously there is a correlation between these two facts,' Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told the AP. 'It's not a linear relation, it's not the only factor affecting it, there are many others, but it is obviously one of the elements that is contributing.' A recent Bank of Spain report said the country has a shortfall of 450,000 homes. In the tourist hot spots of the Canary and Balearic Islands, half the housing stock is tourist accommodations or properties owned by nonresidents, the report said. ' Tourism is for sure a vital part of the Spanish economy. It's a strategic and very important sector. But as in every other economic activity, it must be conducted in a sustainable way," Bustinduy said. 'It cannot jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people. Their right to housing, but also their right to well-being.' The country has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Homemade signs including one that read 'Get Airbnb out of our neighborhoods' at a recent march in Madrid point to the growing anger. 'A balance must be found between the constitutional rights of the Spanish people and economic activities in general," Bustinduy said. Regional governments in Spain are also tackling the issue. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. Airbnb said that while its appeal goes through the courts, no holiday rentals would be immediately taken down from the site. In response to Spain's order, Airbnb has said the platform connects property owners with renters but it doesn't have oversight obligations, even though it requires hosts to show that they are compliant with local laws. Bustinduy said Spain's recent action reflects a desire in Spain, but also elsewhere, to hold tech companies like Airbnb to account. 'There is a battle going on about accountability and about responsibility,' Bustinduy said. 'The digital nature of these extraordinarily powerful multinational corporations must not be an excuse to fail to comply with democratically established regulations.' Bustinduy, who belongs to the governing coalition's left-wing Sumar party, dismissed the idea that the Spanish government's action toward Airbnb could discourage some tourists from visiting. 'It will encourage longer stays, it will encourage responsible tourism and it will preserve everything that we have in this wonderful country which is the reason why so many people want to come here," he said. The minister also took a shot at low-cost airlines. Spain has pushed against allowing such airlines to charge passengers for hand baggage. Last year, it fined five budget airlines, including RyanAir and easyJet, a total of $179 million for charging for hand luggage. 'The principle behind these actions is always the same: preserving consumer rights,' Bustinduy said. 'Powerful corporations, no matter how large, have to adapt their business models to existing regulations.'
Daily Mail
8 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Sunbed wars: Dozens of Benidorm holidaymakers queue early to nab poolside loungers
Dozens of Benidorm holidaymakers armed with towels and suncream were filmed queuing up for sunbeds — at 6am. The eager sunbathers were dubbed 'sad' by an unimpressed onlooker. Click above to watch the full video
