Tens of Spanish protesters are gearing up to take to the streets again, as public anger over mass tourism continues to grow. Last year, tens of thousands of people joined marches across Spain to vent their anger at the ever growing influx of visitors to some of the country’s most popular holiday islands and cities.
Protest organisers and activists are calling for a halt to “exploitative economic models” that prioritise rapid tourism growth at the expense of residents’ quality of life and environmental sustainability. They want authorities to take urgent action, and have issued a number of key demands. Some of these include stopping the construction of new hotels, introducing eco-taxes on tourists and rejecting large-scale infrastructure projects that damage the environment.
One of the epicentres for anti-tourism protests has been the Canary Islands, which welcomed almost 18 million visitors last year alone.
This is eight times more than the local population of the islands, which stands at approximately 2.25 million.
Anti-tourism activists in Majorca had previously told The Daily Express they are planning a series of new campaigns this summer that aim to target tourists directly.
They have grown frustrated at the lack of political action to cap tourist numbers and feel they need to adopt a more radical approach.
Activists want visitors to the island to understand that they are not welcome anymore and plan to make them feel “uncomfortable”.
This Sunday protests are planned to take place across 15 areas throughout the Canary Islands, signalling widespread unrest.
The primary protest locations and times on Sunday are as follows:
Tenerife – Plaza Weyler, Santa Cruz, 11AM
Gran Canaria – Auditorio Alfredo Kraus, Las Palmas, 11AM
Lanzarote – Quiosco de la Música, Arrecife, 11AM
Fuerteventura – Plaza de la Iglesia, Puerto del Rosario, 11AM
El Hierro – Consejería de Turismo, Valverde, 11AM
La Palma – Plaza de La Alameda, Santa Cruz de La Palma, 11AM
La Gomera – Plaza de Las Américas, San Sebastián, 11AM
Many local residents complain that tourism has exacerbated housing shortages, inflated living costs, and strained public infrastructure.
Opposition to tourism is becoming more and more radical, with fears that violent attacks on visitors could sooner or later happen.
In March 2025, the phrase “Kill A Tourist” appeared in Tenerife, symbolising the depth of local frustration.
Additionally, activists set fire to rental cars commonly used by tourists to explore the islands.
