Spain's tourism crisis deepens as Tenerife hotel bookings 'slump' amid local protests
There's growing concern on one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations due to a significant drop in hotel bookings. Last year, Tenerife attracted a whopping 6.2 million international visitors, drawn by its consistently warm weather, affordable alcohol, sandy beaches, and renowned water park.
However, the influx was met with strong opposition from locals, who claim the surge in demand for holiday rentals is pricing them out of the property market. Additional worries about rowdy tourists damaging the island's national parks and causing traffic congestion have led to widespread protests across Spain, with disgruntled locals demanding that holidaymakers 'go home'.
Earlier this year, The Mirror reported on Spain's grim warning to tourists ahead of the busy summer season, as activists pledged to ramp up their actions against sun-seeking Brits.
This comes amid rising anti-tourist sentiment nationwide, which has even turned violent at times.
In March, a chilling sign reading 'Kill A Tourist' was spotted in Tenerife. There were later reports of protesters going to extreme lengths to convey their message, including setting rental cars on fire.
While tourists initially seemed unfazed by the escalating tensions at the start of the year, with 775,205 international visitors flocking to the Canary Islands in January - a 3.05-per cent increase from 2024, it seems holidaymakers are finally heeding the warnings.
the Mirror.
Pedro Aldonso, president of the CEOE business association in Tenerife, spoke about the recent industrial action during the Easter holidays and reportedly cautioned that 'every small collapse has an echo in trust'.
He said: "When confidence falls, investment comes to a halt," he said, as he urged for a return to 'dialogue, trust, and common sense'.
According to Canarian Weekly, the tourism chief added: "This is not about making headlines. It's about safeguarding jobs," suggesting that the slump could be swiftly rectified by a surge in 'last-minute' holiday bookings.
Spain's deepening housing crisis and planned protests against tourism could benefit destinations like Turkey, which is anticipating a record-breaking number of visitors this year. As previously reported, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said the country was experiencing a tourist boom - especially amongst Russian, German, and UK holidaymakers.
The politician added: "Turkey has become the country with the highest number of early reservations in Germany.
"We aim to welcome over seven million visitors from both Russia and Germany this year. Additionally, we expect 4.8 million visitors from the UK in 2025."
Protestors have even defaced hugely important heritage sites on the isle of Majorca.
Police are seeking the individual or group responsible for spraying explicit messages on buildings visited every day by tourists.
The graffiti, which is in Catalan but in English means "f***ing tourists" and "get out of our city" has appeared in an area of high monumental and cultural value in the Majorcan capital of Palma.
One of the buildings attacked is the Royal Palace of La Almudaina, which dates back to the 14th century, and is the official residence of the King and Queen during their stays in Majorca.
Together with the Cathedral of Palma it is a landmark of the capital of the Balearic Islands.
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