'Hostility' warning issued to anyone planning trips to Tenerife, Lanzarote or Gran Canaria

By Max Parry, News Reporter

Tenerife (Image: Getty)

A travel expert has warned that locals in Spanish holiday destinations may soon exhibit "tourismphobia". Demonstrations have become commonplace in Spanish tourist hotspots since the first in April 2024. Now, experts are warning that places like Tenerife, Gran Canaria, and Lanzarote may become increasingly febrile places for visitors to visit.

This May, a mass protest was organised in the Canary Islands, and saw around 23,000 people taking to the streets to urge the government to enforce a more sustainable tourism model. Although the demonstrators say they are not against tourists themselves, but rather on the social challenges they create, some researchers believe the public mood could soon turn nasty.

Anti-tourist protesters march past holidaymakers in Tenerife (Image: Getty)

An anthropologist warned that “a lack of open debate and clear action by authorities could fuel deeper resentment,” according to Canarian Weekly.

Agustín Santana Talavera from the University of La Laguna said: “It starts with complaints and protests, but if ignored, it could evolve into hostility towards tourists themselves, what some call ‘tourismphobia’.”

He said: “If nothing is done to improve this perception, it grows. It starts with annoyance, then graffiti appears, and eventually, tourists themselves are blamed for all problems.

“That’s when we begin to see what people call ‘tourismphobia’. And at that point, we risk genuine harm to the destination.”

Thousands of anti-tourism protests on the streets in Gran Canaria (Image: Getty)

Despite the protests visitor numbers to the Canary Islands remain strong. According to figures released in June, the holiday destination welcomed 5.7m international visitors, an increase of 4.2% compared to 2024, equating to around 240,000 more tourists between January and April this year.

But Santana warns the islands’ reputation could be damaged if action isn’t taken to combat resident’s dissatisfaction.

He said: “These are limits that I don’t think anyone wants to reach. It’s time to pay attention and think about medium-and long-term strategies.”