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The Irish Sun
28-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Canary Islands holiday fears latest with ‘not a free bar' tourist alert amid ‘severe' 3-hotspot accommodation issue
THE President of the Canary Islands has insisted that his government welcomes holidaymakers but warned: "We are not a free bar." Punters heading for Spain face another summer of chaos as an 7 Holidaymakers cowered in hotel rooms and awkwardly watched from the sidelines as residents kicked off anti-tourism demonstrations Credit: Alamy Live News 7 Hostile messages against foreigners and tourists written on public walls are on the rise Credit: Canarian Weekly 7 Fears are growing that the movement could become more hateful Credit: Getty Images - Getty 7 Canarian Islands president Fernando Clavijo has insisted the government is not against tourism Credit: Getty Thousands across the Spanish archipelago's islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura , with around 23,000 chanting: "The Canaries has a limit." Lanzarote locals Canarian Coalition leader Fernando Clavijo yesterday said that while his government welcomes tourists, uncontrolled numbers won't be allowed enter the islands at the expense of locals and the environment. READ MORE IN HOLIDAY PROTESTS He said: "We will never be against tourism." But he warned that the islands must be protected so that "our children and grandchildren can live here". He continued: "We are firmly in favour of the Canary Islands and fair working conditions. "Of the €25billion that the tourism sector brings in, the more that stays here, the better." Most read in News Travel He said the Canary Islands government "rolls out the red carpet" for people who wants to invest in the area and generate wealth, but their job is to ensure "this wealth is distributed fairly". Despite pushback on tourism from officials and locals alike, Irish bars in Lanzarote claim Anti-tourist mob attacks holidaymakers with water guns as they vow Spain faces 'long hot summer' of protest carnage Rebecca Flanagan, from Nelly's Irish Bar in the Old Town of Puerto del Carmen, said there is "definitely no decrease in Irish tourists" since the She told The Irish Sun: "The Canarian people are not protesting against tourism, they are protesting because a lot of tourists have bought up the homes on the island as holiday homes, which has increased the price of accommodation. "We are all short staffed because of the lack of long term rentals, a lot of these holiday lets have no licence, so no tax is being paid." Rebecca said around 85 per cent of people on the island of However, many have been left frustrated and feel hard done by as they can no longer afford high rents and house prices. She said: "They love the tourist industry but are just frustrated that they can't afford to own a house and their children will definitely not be able to afford a house. "I have two children who were born here, 18 and 16, they will both be leaving the island to go to mainland Spain to study and they will probably never be able to afford a property here." More than one million foreign tourists visit the Canary Islands each month, compared to a local population of 2.2 million, according to official data. And Spain, which had a record number of tourist arrivals in 2024, expects even more visitors this year. When it comes to running a business in the Canary Islands, Rebecca said there has been little difference in their trade. She said: "As far as the business goes we are lucky, we are doing well with a good repeat trade so the demonstrations haven't affected us." STRIKE CHAOS Hotel workers in the Balearic islands are also And amid the unrest over tourism numbers, new Airbnb rules are due to kick in in Spain after latest figures showed that the average cost of rent has doubled, with property prices increasing by a staggering 44 per cent over the past decade. The country is calling for the removal of thousands of holiday listings from the A n estimated 65,935 Airbnb not including their license number, not specifying if the owner was an individual or a Locals have been arguing that the rise in Airbnb and holiday lets was adding to the She explained: "The impact will be most severe in tourist hotspots like "Many unlicensed properties will disappear from platforms, while remaining listings will face stricter regulations and registration requirements. "Tourists will need to adapt to this new, more regulated market." If you have already booked an Airbnb for the And it may also lead to price hikes in ANOTHER BLOW Spain is also slapping a new 21 per cent VAT on short term rentals, which is more than double the current rate for hotels at 10 per cent. This introduction will discourage short term rentals for less than 30 days, prioritising long-term residential stability for locals in the hopes of fixing the housing crisis in the country. Holidaymakers earlier this month cowered in hotel rooms and awkwardly watched from the sidelines as Dozens of armed officers from the National Sunseekers were 7 'Tourists Go Home' slogans across the south of Tenerife Credit: Canarian Weekly 7 Around 50 people gather in front of the Sagrada Familia under the slogan "Canarias tiene un limite" ("The Canary Islands have a limit") in Barcelona, Spain on May 18 Credit: Getty Images - Getty 7 Thousands of locals march along the seafront overlooking the city beach in Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria Credit: Alamy Live News
The Irish Sun
23-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Lanzarote holiday fears latest as Irish bar staff reveal new local ‘frustration' details before fresh wave of protests
IRISH holidaymakers are continuing to swarm to the Canary Islands despite some locals demanding that they "go home" amid fears the archipelago is "collapsing" under tourist pressure. The Advertisement 6 Tourist protests have been occurring over the past year Credit: AFP - Getty 6 Disgruntled locals have been holding protests against the country's huge tourism industry Credit: EPA 6 Graffiti reading 'tourists go home' has been popping up in hotspots Credit: Alamy Live News Disgruntled locals have been holding protests against the country's huge Locals are taking action against rising costs of residential The latest figures revealed that the average cost of rent throughout Spain has doubled, with property prices increasing by a staggering 44 per cent over the past decade. The availability of residential lets in many of these areas has also fallen, adding fuel to the fire. Advertisement READ MORE ON PROTESTS However, despite pushback on tourism from officials and locals alike, Irish bars in Rebecca Flanagan, from Nelly's Irish Bar in the Old Town of Puerto del Carmen, said there is "definitely no decrease in Irish tourists" since the She told "We are all short staffed because of the lack of long term rentals, a lot of these holiday lets have no licence, so no tax is being paid." Advertisement Most read in News Travel While there is pushback on this aspect of tourism in Spain and its islands, the nation relies heavily on traffic from the industry. I'm a Lanzarote ladette who drinks all day & sunbed hogs, I pay locals' wages, I'm fuming they're moaning about tourists Rebecca said around 85 per cent of people on the island of However, many have been left frustrated and feel hard done by as they can no longer afford high rents and house prices. She said: "They love the tourist industry but are just frustrated that they can't afford to own a house and their children will definitely not be able to afford a house. Advertisement "I have two children who were born here, 18 and 16, they will both be leaving the island to go to mainland Spain to study and they will probably never be able to afford a property here." 'WE ARE LUCKY' More than one million foreign tourists visit the Canary Islands each month, compared to a local population of 2.2 million, according to official data. And Spain, which had a record number of tourist arrivals in 2024, expects even more visitors this year. When it comes to running a business in the Canary Islands, Rebecca said there has been little difference in their trade. Advertisement She said: "As far as the business goes we are lucky, we are doing well with a good repeat trade so the demonstrations haven't affected us." LOCALS' FRUSTRATION Protests over the past year have already seen Separate And further action is planned this month, next month, and into the summer. Advertisement New protest action throughout June will see protestors will block access to famous attractions, such as the Sagrada Familia. Similar events will take place across the It is understood demonstrations at airports are also planned and protesters will blockade buses carrying tourists. Canarias tiene un límite, a group meaning 'the Canary Islands have a limit', previously told how people are "tired of being ignored and mistreated". Advertisement It added: "We're still lacking a true change of model that guarantees a decent future for the people who live in these islands." 6 Nelly's Irish Bar in Lanzarote has not seen a decrease in tourism despite the protests Credit: Social media collect 6 New protest action throughout June will see protestors will block access to famous attractions Credit: Alamy Live News 6 The bar is still enjoying a strong trade Credit: Social media collect Advertisement
