20-05-2025
British tourists in Spain warned 'stay in your hotels' as families issued alert
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Holidaymakers huddle in their hotels as anti-tourism protests erupt across the Canary Islands. Throngs of demonstrators, pushing for a cap on tourism, caused mayhem on the usually tranquil islands on Sunday May 18, decrying the inundation of tourists flocking to popular Spanish retreats.
In an appalling turn, activists reportedly took vile actions involving sewage. Major disruptions flared across Spain starting at 11am, impacting key destinations such as Tenerife, Fuerteventura, El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera, and Lanzarote.
32 year old Alberto Babo revealed to MailOnline, "I didn't go out today due to the protests, I'm stuck in my Airbnb to avoid the crowds. I hope they are not violent or anything but just to be safe I'm here. All I can hear is the noise."
A demonstrator underscored the tension, asserting: "Spain has become the after party for Europe, and Tenerife has more tourists per year than Brazil, we don't have room".
The protester further voiced, "We are not against individual tourists, just those who don't respect the rules, who throw trash and pollute and commit crimes. We have toilets that are closed on our beaches because they are contaminated by sewage," reports Birmingham Live.
They highlighted deepening frustration: "Since our historic protest last year the government has done nothing, they have actually increased the number of tourists coming and we don't have enough room. The traffic is so bad when they are here; a 15-minute journey takes one hour."
The attendant griped about the pressure on local housing, lamenting, "The number of Airbnbs is too high and there is nowhere to rent, it is catastrophic for the island."
Tenerife saw a mass convening of protestors waving flags and banging drums.
Campaigners are demanding a limit on the number of holidaymakers to avoid overcrowding and resource depletion. They're also calling for a halt on the construction of any new hotels or tourism apartment complexes.
Among the rallying cries heard was: 'El dinero del turismo, donde está?' which translates as 'The money from tourism, where is it?'
Tenerife's Tourism Minister, Lope Alfonso, stated that the government has been striving towards a model to 'achieve a balance between the interests of residents and tourists. '.
