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Irish Daily Mirror
12-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Canary Islands' bleak promise to Irish tourists as summer holiday warning issued
Spain has long been one of Ireland's favourite sun holiday destinations, but growing unrest among locals could soon affect how welcome tourists - including the Irish - are made to feel. Tensions over mass tourism are flaring up once again, with a fresh wave of protests erupting across some of the most popular holiday hotspots. Locals, frustrated by rising property prices and overcrowded towns, are calling for restrictions on tourism, claiming that their communities are being overwhelmed. Protesters have taken to the streets in places like Majorca and Tenerife, waving banners that read "Let's change course and set limits on tourism" and "This isn't tourism-phobia, it's numbers: 1,232,014 residents, 18 million tourists". These demonstrations follow a string of similar actions last year, as locals grow increasingly verbal about the impact of mass tourism. In Majorca, one of the island's famous Osborne bulls was recently defaced with the words "Rich foreign property buyers go to hell" painted in red. Meanwhile, in Tenerife - the most visited of the Canary Islands - the sentiment turned even darker with a chilling sign spotted threatening to "kill a tourist" and reports of activists setting rental cars on fire. While these actions have largely been symbolic or aimed at sparking debate, they highlight the rising resentment toward the ever-growing number of tourists, particularly in areas which are firm favourites among Irish travellers. One of the leading groups behind the protests, Menys Turisme Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life), has made a bleak promise to intensify its campaign ahead of the busy summer season. Organiser Pere Joan previously told the Mirror: "We hope to do the same as occupy the beaches in places that have a mass of tourists. "There will also be one big day of protests, although we don't know when this will be. It may be on 5 April when there will be national protests on housing prices. Our capacity to mobilise people was important last year. We had two protests of more than 20,000 persons and 40,000 in one of them." With approximately 2.5 million Irish citizens visiting Spain each year, the unrest has prompted travel experts to issue warnings. Alexandra Dubakova, CMO at Free Tour, advised holidaymakers to do their research and avoid known protest areas. She told Mirror UK: "Search possible areas of protest and locations off-limits to avoid any safety issues and disruptions to your trip. Take less touristy places such as small towns on the northern coast since it is less crowded." The travel expert also advised to "check local updates" when you arrive at your destination and book tours with local guides. She added: "The safer choice though, would be to consider other destinations until the unrest stops. If you must visit, book tours and hotels with cancellation policies so you won't lose your money." Despite the growing backlash, many in Spain - particularly those in the tourism sector - are urging visitors not to be deterred. Some restaurants and businesses in Lanzarote have started displaying stickers reading "Lanzarote loves tourism" in their windows as a way of reassuring holidaymakers. Holiday experts at On the Beach travelled to Spain last year to get a better understanding of the protests. Chief customer officer Zoe Harris explained: "We sent a team out there to speak to locals directly and it turns out there is a lot of frustration with their own government, not necessarily Irish tourists." While some holidaymakers are being met with anti-tourist graffiti, according to the travel retailer, interviews with Tenerife locals paint a different picture. Restaurant owners, bar staff and hotel owners are welcoming more tourists to the island as they say they love them coming over. Some Spanish locals said that it's not the Irish that they are unhappy with, it's landlord greed and their own government, who have done little to stop the ever-increasing cost-of-living crisis on the island. Expat Sandra Laurie, who has lived in Spain for nine years, urged holidaymakers to "still visit Spain" - arguing most of the protests revolve around landlord greed as opposed to tourists themselves. She said: "Local businesses, restaurants, and shops have built their success on welcoming tourists from all over the world. If you have a trip planned - don't let the headlines deter you. The Costa del Sol and other popular destinations are buzzing with life. The beaches are packed, the pueblos are alive with energy, and both locals and tourists are soaking up the sun, relaxing, and making the most of everything Spain has to offer."
Daily Mirror
21-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
European country named as most popular holiday spot for British families in 2025
It seems growing anti-tourist rhetoric and an eruption of protests hasn't been enough to deter swathes of British families, who still plan on visiting an insatiably popular EU hotspot this year Despite escalating anti-tourist sentiment and vows to unleash misery on Brits this summer - one particular EU destination can't seem to shake off its popularity. Last year, a record-breaking 94 million international visitors flocked to Spain and its slew of postcards archipelagos - a sharp 10 per cent increase compared to the year before. The tourist boom will have been well received by local businesses cashing in on sun-worshipping Brits, from nightclub owners in the party-mad region of Benidorm all the way down to hoteliers in the Canary Islands. But, the staggering influx sparked controversial efforts to tackle over-tourism across the country. 2024 saw thousands of frustrated locals take to the streets in a slew of protests, armed with banners demanding holidaymakers 'go home' and even squirting tourists in the face with water pistols. Many demonstrations blamed the skyrocketing demand for short-term property rentals and second holiday homes for pricing locals out of the property market - further fuelling Spain's housing crisis. Now, Menys Turisme Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) - which has been at the forefront of Spain's anti-tourism campaign - has promised to 'intensify' its ahead of the peak season. Pere Joan, a spokesperson and organiser for the group, previously told the Mirror: "We hope to do the same as before, by occupying the beaches in places that have a mass of tourists... "Our capacity to mobilise people was important last year. We had two protests of more than 20,000 persons and 40,000 in one of them." And yet, in spite of the furore, as well as the UK's grappling cost-of-living crisis, new research has found that three in ten parents are still planning to travel to Spain over the next few months. Data gathered by travel debit card brand Currensea states Spain remains a firm fave amongst British families, outranking nearby hotspots such as Italy and France. In third place is the United States of America, where 15 per cent of parents plan to take their little ones during the summer period. Want the latest travel news and cheapest holiday deals sent straight to your inbox? Sign up to our Travel Newsletter. In a statement sent to the Mirror, James Lynn, Co-Founder of Currensea, said Spain remained a top destination for British families, but that two-thirds (66 per cent) of parents worry about getting caught out by high foreign exchange (FX) fees when they are spending money abroad. "The value of the pound has dipped against the Euro and US Dollar over the last six months, impacting travel budgets, and global uncertainty could push holiday prices up even more than expected over the next few months meaning families need to make every penny count," he added. "Parents are using their hard-earned savings to take their families abroad on holiday, yet millions are seeing budgets eaten by poor FX rates and extortionate bank fees. With UK travellers forking out an unnecessary £2.7bn in FX fees every year, it's vital that they have access to simple and transparent spending solutions that cut fees and make holiday savings stretch further." Luckily, there are a slew of high-street banks and travel card companies that allow Brits to withdraw money without getting stung by extortionate transaction fees. Currensea says it has saved travellers more than £2.5 million during 2024 by cutting FX fees and eliminating hidden bank charges.
