Thousands of people protested in Spain’s Canary Islands on Sunday, calling for restrictions on tourist numbers to mitigate the negative impacts on local communities. Demonstrators cited concerns about rising housing costs, traffic congestion, and strained public services.
The protests, organized under the slogan “Canaries have a limit,” took place across the archipelago’s main islands, as well as in several cities on mainland Spain. Protesters voiced concerns about the impact of tourism on water resources.
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Juan Francisco Galindo, a hotel manager in Tenerife, emphasized the importance of tourism to the Canary Islands but warned of an impending “total collapse.” He shared a personal experience, noting that his father’s property faces expropriation due to the approval of a luxury hotel complex.
The Canary Islands host over 1 million foreign tourists each month, significantly impacting the local population of 2.2 million. Spain, which experienced record tourist arrivals in 2024, anticipates even higher numbers this year.
Galindo highlighted the tripling of hotel beds since the 1970s, coinciding with the islands’ infrastructure development. This expansion has led to soaring housing costs, traffic congestion, and limited access to healthcare during peak tourist seasons.
Similar anti-tourism protests have occurred in other popular Spanish destinations, including Mallorca, Barcelona, and Malaga. The Canary Islands also witnessed similar demonstrations last year.
Sirlene Alonso, a lawyer residing in Gran Canaria, criticized the regional government’s focus on building more housing instead of limiting tourist arrivals. She argued that the government’s priority is increasing tourist numbers rather than improving the quality of tourism, leading to unsustainable conditions for residents.
Canary Island officials recently visited Brussels to seek European Union funding for affordable housing in the region’s outermost areas.
