Almost the whole of the Canary Islands archipelago will erupt into coordinated overtourism protests next week – but holidaymakers shouldn’t necessarily cancel their trips. After large-scale demonstrations broke out on the Spanish islands last spring, protestors will reurn to the streets of all but one of the seven archipelago on May 18 to call for improved “water and housing” after a rise in visitor footfall wreaked havoc on the livelihoods of locals. Brits dominated the holiday destination’s tourism market last year, with 2.8 million arrivals on Lanzarote alone, but while a dip in footfall could be a side effect of the ongoing discontent, visitors could also adjust their plans to avoid upsetting residents.
Seamus McCauley, head of public affairs at Holiday Extras said the Spanish islands weren’t necessarily opposed to tourists – but had grown disgruntled at excessive water usage, a lack of affordable housing and difficulties in bringing tourism revenue to the local economy. “Visitors who stay in locally owned accommodation, eat at local restaurants, conserve water, and make an effort to live more like residents can help reduce their impact,” he said.
Alongside his four main tips for a less disruptive holiday, Mr McCauley advised holidaymakers to travel outside peak season in a bid to “ease pressure on both local resources and goodwill”.
Last year’s demonstrations didn’t appear to significantly stem the tide of foreign visitors flooding the Canaries and wider Spanish region, but the persistent message that they’re not welcome could cause Brits to head elsewhere this year, the travel expert added.
“Previous protests have been loud, disruptive and deliberately targeted at affecting services used by tourists,” he said.
“So it’s inevitable that visitors during periods of protests wil face some level of disruption.”
“Tourism to Tenerife dropped by 4% last year, as some travellers responded to rising anti-tourist sentiment – just as visitor numbers have fallen in Amsterdam and Barcelona, where locals are also pushing back,” Mr McCauley added.
“The message is clear: many travellers choose destinations where they feel welcome. At the start of this year, 29% of holidaymakers told us they were likely to change their plans due to anti-tourist sentiment in some destinations – and 4% already had.”
Despite a rise in living expenses, workers in the Canary Islands have the lowest salaries in the country, despite the archipelago’s hefty contribution to Spain’s GDP. At a press conference last month, union leaders said the upcoming protests would champion “social and labour rights” and see the “most forceful” action to date.
