Irish warned ‘prepare to adjust Spain holiday plans' as exact date tourist protestors ‘take fight to streets' revealed

The Irish Sun

24-04-2025

ANTI-tourist protests are continuing to escalate across Spain, with Irish holidayers told to "stay home" as the summer fast approaches.
Irish tourists heading to Spain have been warned to "be prepared to adjust your travel plans at short notice" as activists
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Hotel and hospitality workers protested in Tenerife over the weekend
Credit: EPA/Alberto Valdes
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Locals in Gran Canaria protested against rising rental prices, evictions and the touristification of one of the oldest neighbourhoods on the island earlier this month
Credit: lamy Live News
Demonstrators have claimed that "what comes next will be impossible to ignore" as we approach peak tourist season.
Renowned group 'Canarias tiene un limite' - meaning 'Canaries has a limit' - told how it is "tired of being ignored and mistreated" and said that
A statement issued by the group declared that activists are
The statement read: "We are the Canarian people - a people who will not give up until we achieve the change we deserve.
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"On May 18, the fight continues in the streets. What comes next will be impossible to ignore."
Demonstrations
And although there are only protest plans in place for one of the Canary Islands, which include
several destinations popular with Irish tourists such as
,
,
and
, it is likely that more demonstrations will be held in other areas.
The Canarias tiene un limite revealed: "Several islands and the Canarian population are called to unite again to reject an economic model that is taking the Canary Islands to the limit.
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"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."
Top Tenerife anti-tourist crusader is revealed as a BRIT who admits he's constantly branded a 'hypocrite'
Those partaking in the protests claim that holidaymakers have impacted housing, pricing, the environment and roads for locals - as well as peace and quiet in towns.
They also fume that despite past protests, the Canary government still haven't made changes.
Protesters across Spain on April 5 were urged by anti-tourism activists to
to render them unusable.
PROTEST LOCATIONS
This year, Government authorities said 15,000 marched in Madrid on 5 April, while organisers said 10 times that many took to the streets of the capital.
Marchers in the capital chanted "get Airbnb out of our neighbourhoods" and held up signs against short-term rentals.
And, after protesters descended onto the streets in Malaga earlier this year, the city authorities cancelled plans to build 1,300 tourist homes in the area.
Hotel workers in the
The
involved approximately
ANTI-TOURIST MEASURES
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
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
Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to
It was followed by an area in
Meanwhile,
The city has already
The Spanish government has allowed
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am, including a fine.
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 to €4 per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to
Protests last year saw capital Santa Cruz as the main focus.
And while plans for demonstrations in mainland Spain this year are still unconfirmed,
mounted across 40 major cities, including Malaga on the Costa del Sol and Alicante earlier this month.
Last year, a huge protest in Palma on July 21 passed off peacefully, although some demonstrators used Spain's Euros final win to poke fun at English tourists.
Last October, demonstrators
The surreal scenes occurred after hundreds of protesters diverted from their planned seafront route in Playa de las Americas in the south of the island and ended up taking over Troya Beach.
Organisers said 80,000 people had joined in Tenerife protests alone on April 20 last year.
WARNING FOR IRISH TOURISTS
Irish tourists have been warned to stay up to date with details of the location they're flying to, local developments and their hotels.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has previously warned holidayers to "stay clear" of protests and prepare to "adjust your travel plans", adding that demonstrations can sometimes spring up with "no warning".
It said: "Public gatherings and demonstrations can at times take place with little or no warning.
"We recommend that you stay clear of demonstrations and follow the advice of the local authorities.
"Protests may cause disruption to transport and other services.
"Be prepared to adjust your travel plans at short notice if necessary, and allow yourself extra time for your journey.
"You should also check for travel updates or transport delays before and during your trip to Spain."
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Thousands demonstrated in Madrid to demand policies to intervene in the housing market, combat rent-seeking, and tourist occupation of housing earlier this month
Credit: Ignacio Lopez Isasmendi/ZUMA Press Wire
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People hold placards reading 'Stop Evictions' as they take part in a protest to demand lower housing rental prices and better living conditions in Barcelona
Credit: REUTERS/Nacho Doce