On Sunday, thousands of people demonstrated again against mass tourism on the Canary Islands, which are part of Spain. They stormed and besieged popular beaches on the famous party islands. “This beach is ours,” they shouted, as tourists looked on on beach towels and lounge chairs, often just a few meters away from the angry crowd.
Authorities estimate the number of participants at around 10,000. There were already demonstrations in April; according to official figures, more than 55,000 people took to the streets.
Popular travel destinations in winter
The islands are a popular travel destination even in winter due to their location off the northwest coast of Africa and their climate.
“We are foreigners in our country”
Demonstrations took place in the holiday resort of Maspalomas in Gran Canaria, but also in Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, La Palma and El Hierro. Participants held up posters with the slogans “Somos extranjeros en nuestra tierra” (e.g. “We are foreigners in our country”) or “Canarias no es un parque temático” (e.g. “The Canary Islands are not a theme park”).
Limitation of the number of tourists required
Demands of the demonstrators: The number of tourists and the number of holiday apartments must be limited. The various organizers denounced an “unfair and unsustainable” development model in the tourism sector, as reported by the Spanish news agency Europapress.
In the spring and summer there were also major protests against mass tourism on the Spanish mainland and the Balearic island of Mallorca.
The travel industry accounts for almost 14 percent of economic output in Spain. In the Canary Islands this is 35 percent, in Mallorca even 45 percent.
Affordable housing is another concern
Another concern of the protesters: affordable housing. Over the past decade, average monthly rents on the islands have doubled, Víctor Martín, one of the organizers of protest marches this summer, told Deutsche Welle. And: every third apartment would now be a second home for a foreigner.
Source: Krone
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