The Canary Islands, which include Lanzarote and Tenerife, have issued a plea to UK holidaymakers to continue to visit amidst fears of widespread holiday cancellations following anti-tourist protests. The islands’ regional tourism chief, Jessica de Leon, has reassured Brits that they are still welcome on the islands, despite planned protests and an apparent rise of anti-tourist sentiment in parts of the population.
Protests were planned to take place across the Canary Islands, with thousands expected to call for a major overhaul of the Spanish archipelago’s tourism industry. But De Leon told The Telegraph: “It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you.”
She expressed understanding towards the frustrations but stated it was “unfair to blame tourism”. Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands, agreed, suggesting that what some activists were displaying “smacks of tourist-phobia”.
He argued that visitors who contribute to the economy should not be criticised or insulted, stating: “People who come here to visit and spend their money must not be criticised or insulted. We are playing with our main source of income.” However, Gabriel Gonzalez, a councillor for the hard-Left Podemos party in Tenerife’s resort town of Adeje, countered: “We have the feeling that we are not living off tourism; it is tourism that is living off us.”
Nestor Marrero, secretary of a Tenerife ecology group called ATAN, suggested a different approach: “The number of tourists should be reduced. We should aim for higher-quality visitors, not people in all-included resorts who don’t leave the hotel or interact with locals and our culture in any way”, reports Birmingham Live.
In 2023, the islands, home to a population of 2.2 million, welcomed 13.9 million visitors. Data from Spain’s National Statistics Institute reveals that 33.8 per cent of Canary Islands residents are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest rate in any region except Andalucia.
Clavijo addressed reporters this week, stating: “All the actions this government has taken have been based on a revision of this model. The Canaries’ tourist model has been a successful one, but obviously, as with anything, there are things that could be perfected.”