There could be huge changes in the Canary Islands after the local government launched a public consultation on its tourism laws. A mass consultation was announced on Monday and aims to update laws from 1995 and 2013 amid growing anger among locals in the likes of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria over what they say is overtourism.
Local media said the aim is to update the laws to the current challenges and realities facing the Canary Islands. It comes ahead of anti-mass tourism protests that are set to take place across the islands on May 18. Canarias Tiene Un Límite (The Canaries Have a Limit), a collective including various organisations, is organising the protests and said it was tired of governments and institutions ignoring the calls of residents to crack down on visitor numbers.
Canarian Weekly reports that one of the key aims of the new legislation is to address the housing shortage in popular tourist areas, with a view to protecting locals’ access to long-term housing.
The housing situation and rent prices have been one of the key issues raised by campaigners.
The legislation, among other things, is also set to define the status of areas that are particularly busy with tourists to inform infrastructure and public services, according to the Canarian Weekly.
Canary Islands’ Minister of Tourism and Employment Jessica de León said: “This process is about reconnecting regulation with the people and professionals of the islands — making tourism more equitable, sustainable, and resilient.”
In 2024, almost 18 million people visited the Canary Islands, with nearly 6.3 million Britons visiting.
The Canary Islands, made up of seven islands including Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, are popular tourist destinations thanks to all-year round warm weather, beaches, watersports and more.
Several demonstrations against mass tourism were held across Europe last year.
Announcing next month’s protests, The Canaries Have a Limit group said: “The Canary Islands can no longer be a postcard backdrop for the enjoyment of a privileged few. We are the voice of those who reject false progress at the cost of widespread precarity.
“We are the Canarian people – a people who will not give up until we achieve the change we deserve. On May 18th, the fight continues in the streets. What comes next will be impossible to ignore.”
Earlier this month, the Canary Islands government announced that it would ask the EU for permission to introduce limits on the number of non-residents and foreign investors allowed to buy property.
