Protesters in Canary Islands Demand Reforms in Mass Tourism Sector
TENERIFE, Spain — On October 20, 2024, a powerful wave of protests swept across the Canary Islands as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets, demanding a significant overhaul in the region’s model of mass tourism. With residents increasingly concerned about the pressure that excessive tourism places on the islands’ resources and communities, protestors gathered in numbers across all seven of the archipelago’s main islands under the resonating slogan, "The Canary Islands have a limit."
Demonstrators, proudly waving the white, blue, and yellow flags symbolic of the Canary Islands, initiated their protests at pivotal tourist hotspots. Among the notable rallies was the vibrant march along Las Americas Beach in Tenerife, where protesters mingled with unsuspecting tourists lounging on sunbeds and enjoying the island’s sunny weather. The protestors’ chants of "This beach is ours" highlighted a growing sentiment among locals that the Canary Islands’ natural resources and beauty should benefit residents instead of being solely exploited for tourism.
Similar scenes unfolded in Gran Canaria, where protesters convened outside a convention center in Maspalomas, and on Fuerteventura, where the only water park became focal points for protests. These visually striking demonstrations aimed to apply pressure on governmental authorities to reconsider the strategies that underpinned current tourism practices.
The protests are a continuation of a movement that gained momentum with significant rallies in April, manifesting widespread discontent that locals have expressed about how the current tourism model benefits investors to the detriment of local communities. Critics argue that this approach leads to soaring housing prices, environmental degradation, and limited economic benefits for Canarians, who often find themselves trapped in low-paid service roles within the tourism industry.
Ivan Cerdena, representing the environmental advocacy group ATAN, underscored the urgency of reassessing the tourism model. He noted, "These tourist areas with their huge blocks of cement created for the exclusive use of tourists… these are the places we believe we should apply a little more pressure to see if the government pays attention to us once and for all."
With placards proclaiming "The Canaries are not for sale" and "Enough is enough," protesters demanded urgent action including capping tourist numbers and controlling rampant development. Public opinion increasingly favors such measures, fueled by grim statistics about the islands’ socio-economic conditions. Despite the fact that tourism constitutes 36 percent of the archipelago’s GDP, and 40 percent of its residents are employed in the sector, a third of Canaries inhabitants remain at risk of poverty per figures from the European Anti-Poverty Network.
Last year, the Canary Islands welcomed a record 16.2 million visitors, a figure dwarfing its 2.2 million population and raising serious questions about the sustainability of such growth. As the region prepares to potentially surpass this record in the current year, the protests have illuminated a critical crossroads for the Canary Islands’ future. With mounting calls for reform, the coming months will likely determine whether and how policymakers will respond to residents’ demands for a tourism model that is equitable and sustainable.
