With exorbitant housing prices and tourist accommodation depleting access to affordable housing for locals, Canary Island residents have decided to take protest action to accelerate existing pressure on the government to take control of over-tourism.
Amid backlash against over-tourism in various parts of Spanish territory including Madrid, the Canary Islands is not holding back in saying that enough is enough. Recent legislation to better manage registration and monitoring of tourist and short term accommodation rentals does show that the government is listening. However, across Spain, there is concern that the lucrative economic benefits of the tourism industry averaging 20 billion euros are still not worth the negative impacts for Spanish residents. These include impacts on quality of life due to building conglomerations in tourist areas, effects on the environment and reduced affordability of housing and amenities in areas with a high tourist quota.
Tourism is a lucrative industry yet the consequences for island residents are dire
Around 30,000 people participated in the protests across towns and cities of the archipelago today carrying banners with the words: “The Canary Islands have a limit.” Despite tourism being an undeniably profitable industry in the Canary Islands with over 16 million tourists visiting in 2023 and even higher forecasts for 2024, island residents are fed up of overcrowding and of the struggle to access and afford decent housing. Many properties are owned by second home-owners who use the accommodation during limited periods of the year. The effect of foreigners investing in housing in Spain means that house prices ultimately soar and this is certainly not a fair deal for those living in the area. Admittedly tourism does provide essential employment opportunities, highly welcomed with the current high rates of unemployment. However, these jobs are often low-skilled and poorly paid. Among those attending the protests was Ecologists in Action. The Canary Islands is an area with a sensitive biodiversity including protected areas, endemic species and unique ecosystems due to its volcanic heritage. Unfortunately, over-tourism is taking its toll on this too. In April, protestors took to the streets to appeal for a tourist tax, already imposed in the Balearic Islands, but sadly to no avail.
Protest hopes to move governments to take action against over-tourism and listen to locals
Tourism has been an important industry in the Canary Islands for many decades, yet figures rose by five per cent last year and residents have simply had enough. Protestors purport the need to attract a different profile of tourist: wealthier tourists would mean fewer tourists. This is an approach taken by other European countries facing the same predicament. In light of minimal governmental involvement, residents are becoming increasingly exasperated. One protestor, Eugenio Reyes from Maspalomas on Gran Canarias told media: “Everything remains the same. There has been no official contact nor has an observatory or space been created for civil society to listen to citizens, who have specific proposals.”
As residents of the Canary Islands rally against over-tourism, their calls for government intervention underscore a growing desire to protect their homes and environment. By highlighting the adverse effects of mass tourism on housing prices, biodiversity, and the overall well-being of local communities, these protests serve as a powerful reminder that the voices of those who live in these beautiful regions must be prioritized over the demands of tourism. With hopes running high, the time has come for governments to take meaningful action and ensure a sustainable balance between tourism and the needs of their citizens.
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