Canary Island tourism chaos as hotel bookings 'slump' ahead of 'bleak' summer
Concern is rapidly growing in one of Spain's most popular islands following a notable 'slump' in hotel bookings. Last year, a staggering 6.2 million international visitors flocked to Tenerife - lured by its consistently balmy temperatures, cheap booze, sandy beaches, and world-famous water park.
However, the influx was met with harsh resistance from fed-up locals, who argue they're being priced out of the property market thanks to the soaring demand for holiday rentals. Concern over rowdy tourists spoiling the island's national parks and clogging up the roads added to the furore, resulting in a slew of protests across Spain - with frustrated residents demanding holidaymakers 'go home'.
Earlier this year, The Mirror reported Spain's 'bleak' promise to tourists ahead of the busy summer period, as activists vowed to 'intensify' their actions against sun-worshipping Brits. It follows escalating anti-tourist sentiment across the nation, which has even taken a violent turn.
Back in March, a terrifying sign threatening to 'Kill A Tourist' was spotted in Tenerife. Reports later emerged that demonstrators had gone as far as setting fire to rental cars to get their stark message across.
While tourists seemed undeterred by the rising tensions at the beginning of the year (with 775,205 international visitors heading to the Canary Islands in January - a 3.05 per cent increase from 2024) it appears holidaymakers are finally listening to demands. Now, tourism operators have reported a decrease in bookings on the island, particularly for the upcoming summer season.
Speaking about recent industrial action during the Easter holidays, Pedro Aldonso, president of the CEOE business association in Tenerife, reportedly warned that 'every small collapse has an echo in trust'. "When confidence falls, investment comes to a halt," he said - urging for a return to 'dialogue, trust, and common sense'.
According to Canarian Weekly, the tourism boss added: "This is not about making headlines. It's about safeguarding jobs," arguing the slump could be quickly resolved by a surge in 'last-minute' holiday bookings.
Spain's worsening housing crisis and planned demonstrations against tourism could benefit under-appreciated destinations like Turkey, which is expecting to witness a record-breaking number of visitors this year. As previously reported, Culture and Tourism Minister Mehmet Ersoy said the country was welcoming a tourist boom - especially amongst Russian, German, and UK travellers.
"Turkey has become the country with the highest number of early reservations in Germany," the politician added. "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."
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