Brits told 'stay away' as '132k anti-tourism protesters' to descend on Spanish island

5 hours ago 3

Person shouts holding placards during tourism protest

Anti-tourism protests are due to take place across the Canary Islands and mainland Spain on Sunday (Image: Getty)

Brits have been told "stop coming" to the Canary Islands before huge anti-tourism protests take place across the archipelago and mainland Spanish cities this weekend. On Sunday, organisers say up to 132,000 will march from Plaza Weyler in Santa Cruz, the capital of Tenerife, to vent their frustration at overtourism. Ivan, who wished to be referred to by only his first name, is an activist within the protest movement and a member of the local environmental organisation ATAN. He told the Express: "The Canary Islands are facing a critical situation due to tourism saturation and overpopulation, mainly Europeans moving here.

"The influx of visitors, combined the new residents strains essential infrastructure such as public transportation, waste management, and water supply, while contributing to environmental pollution and degradation. This system provides minimal benefits to the local population, perpetuating issues like poverty and vulnerability, and fueling urban development projects and corruption that worsen the crisis."

People march during Canary Islands demonstration

Thousands are due to take place in a protest in Tenerife on Sunday (Image: Getty)

The activist told people from the UK to holiday elsewhere. Ivan added: "Therefore, we encourage tourists to consider alternative destinations where their visit will have a smaller environmental and social impact.

"It is necessary to stop this unsustainable model to rebuild a more balanced and fair tourism industry focused on improving residents' quality of life and preserving the environment.

"Only then can we reverse the damage and move toward a more sustainable future for the islands."

It comes as Tenerife and other popular Canary Islands are edging closer to introducing a controversial new tourist tax.

Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands and national secretary general of the Canary Islands Coalition, has opened the door to the proposal.

Protesters have issued 10 demands for a "fair, sustainable and people-centered model", such as an immediate halt to so-called "illegal hotels" in Tenerife, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote that are "symbols of a model that prioritises private profits over collective well-being".

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In addition, there has been a call for a "genuine moratorium on hotels and vacation rentals", a Residency Law to "guarantee fundamental rights such as housing, healthcare, and social cohesion", an energy model that "prioritises local community needs, respects ecosystems, and avoids concentrating profits in large corporations" and "protection of natural spaces and a real tourist tax whose funds are "exclusively allocated to conservation, monitoring, recovery of natural areas, or social purposes".

Moreover, activists want to see "ecosystem restoration and food and energy sovereignty", an end to "mega projects" like railways, road expansions, ports and airports that are "designed to further increase tourist and population pressure".

Finally, protesters want to see better "protection of cultural and social heritage", measures to combate "contaminating discharges into the sea" and the creation of an Environmental Restoration Law.