Spain hotspot UK tourist chaos warning as hotel staff to 'strike every week on this day all summer'
Hotel staff across Tenerife and the western Canary Islands are gearing up for a series of strikes this summer, with plans for weekly walkouts every Friday in July and August amid growing tensions between unions and hoteliers.
The move could cause chaos in a destination popular with Brits - and it will be particularly disruptive as Friday is commonly a changeover day for travellers.
Sindicalistas de Base, the primary union in the hospitality sector, declared on Monday that it intends to formally propose strike action at a union committee meeting scheduled for 16th June. The proposed action includes demonstrations outside major chain hotels and a sequence of strikes starting from Friday 4th July, the Canarian reported.
This potential industrial action looms just months after similar strikes over the Easter period caused disruptions in the tourism industry, underscoring persistent grievances regarding pay and working conditions in one of the Canary Islands' key economic areas.
Union leader Manuel Fitas highlighted that on 29th May, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to hotel associations Ashotel and Aero to consent to a 6.5% pay rise before entering any new contract talks, a deadline which is now rapidly approaching.
Fitas condemned what he termed the employers' "stubborn refusal" to negotiate wage increases separately from a complete renegotiation of the collective agreement, stating that this stance has compelled the union to prepare for a "new escalation" in the dispute.
Should the strikes go ahead, they would strike at the heart of the tourism sector during its busiest season, potentially impacting thousands of tourists and increasing the pressure on hotel owners to return to the negotiating table.
The issue of overtourism has been a cause of much conflict in Spain this year. A new bout of protests are scheduled for 15 June across Spain – in the Canary Islands, Majorca, Barcelona and other cities like Ibiza, Valencia and Bilbao.
Last summer, in 2024, unhappy residents took to the streets of Barcelona, the Canary Islands and Majorca to protest against the overcrowding by tourists in peak seasons. Some even blamed rising house prices on tourists and 'digital nomads'.
This week, a new round of protests is taking place, organised by the Southern European Network Against Touristisation. The protests began in earnest in April 2025, with thousands taking to the streets to voice concerns about mass tourism and the rising cost of living said to be driven by tourism.
Activist groups like Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) in Majorca, are demanding more sustainable tourism practices, limits on growth and better protection for local environments and communities. These groups are organising coordinated actions in cities across Spain, including Palma (Majorca), Barcelona, Lanzarote and Donostia-San Sebastián.
Major demonstrations are scheduled in the following cities:
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