Canary Islands to tear up tourism rulebook & launch crackdown on Brits with new laws ahead of mass protests

The Irish Sun

23-04-2025

BRITS heading to the sun-soaked Canary Islands this summer are in for a shock with furious locals plotting mass protests and the government ripping up its tourism rulebook.
Holiday hotspots like Tenerife are bracing for a summer of unrest as residents rise up against what they claim is a 'predatory model' of tourism that's pushed locals to the brink.
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Protesters march on Las Americas beach during a demonstration to protest against mass tourism in Tenerife
Credit: AFP
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Demonstrations have been boiling up across Spain
Credit: Alamy
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People protesting against tourists in the Canary Islands
Credit: EPA
Activists have vowed to storm popular tourist attractions, disrupt public events and 'confront political leaders' in a fiery new phase of protests kicking off May 18 — right as peak holiday season begins.
'From now on, we will take our fight to the very spaces where their predatory model is perpetuated,' declared pressure group Canarias tiene un límite (The Canaries Have a Limit).
'We will boycott public events, confront political leaders during their appearances and occupy symbolic tourist spaces to make it clear that we will not stop until real change is achieved.'
The movement — now spreading beyond Tenerife — insists it's no longer business as usual for tourism in the region.
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'The
In a separate warning, the group said: '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.'
The backlash follows
In June last year, beach workers also walked off the job over what unions called "precarious" conditions.
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As tensions boil over, the
Alfonso Cabello, spokesperson for the regional government, said: 'We're doing this the Canary Islands way — extending a hand and listening to everyone.'
Explore Tenerife with The Sun's Best of Beaches
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The sweeping reforms aim to tackle everything from sky-high housing costs in tourist areas to crumbling infrastructure and overworked public services.
Jessica de León, the Canary Islands' Minister of Tourism and Employment, stressed the need to protect residents' quality of life.
'The new regulation must align with today's social and environmental realities, correcting outdated elements and integrating changes from national and regional rulings, including Constitutional Court decisions,' she said.
She also confirmed that changes would include defining tourism-heavy municipalities to prioritise infrastructure upgrades where they're most needed.
The new legal framework is expected to roll out over the coming months.
It will also set tougher planning and building standards, tighten rules on holiday rentals, and introduce the first regulation for campsites and outdoor tourism.
Despite the chaos, unions have urged tourists not to cancel their holidays, insisting their anger is aimed at the system, not the sunseekers.
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Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife in April 2024
Credit: Getty
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Tourism policy in the Canary Islands has left little room for the local population, the protesters argue
Credit: Getty
But protests are set to escalate fast.
On April 5,
Some activists even urged locals to superglue the locks of holiday rentals to keep them out of use.
Protests followed on from a series of
Unions said they wanted to alert holidaymakers to the possible effects of the strike but asked them not to cancel their plans.
They also said they didn't want tourists to change their image of the Canaries as a good holiday destination.
In March,
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Millions of tourists, including many Brits, flock to Tenerife and other hotspots in the Canary Islands every summer
Credit: Getty
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
MAJORCA and Menorca are just some of the European hotspots implementing anti-tourist measures.
Many top holiday destinations across the continent are taking action to prevent unwanted travellers from taking over their towns and cities.
Locals feel they can no longer live in the iconic destinations because they have become overcrowded, unsafe and uncomfortable.
They say there are too many cars on the roads, traffic congestion, overcrowded beaches, blocked access roads, ruined beauty spots and just too many holidaymakers flocking to the island which expects record figures this summer.
Last April,
The anti-tourist hordes filled a square in the capital brandishing banners including some that read 'You enjoy we suffer' in English.
Protests also took place at the same time on other popular Canary islands including Lanzarote and Gran Canaria.
The marches were organised under the slogan "The Canary Islands have a limit.'
Hotel bosses in Benidorm have even admitted they are 'very worried' by the
More recently, the Committee on Tourism, Trade, Employment, Culture and Sport
Politicians are keen to implement a new set of rules on cruise ships in terms of taxation, the environment or the use of less polluting fuels to lower numbers coming into the Balearics.