The social advocacy group opposing the over-commercialisation of tourism in the islands, titled Canary Islands have a limit, is revitalising its efforts with a protest planned in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. This demonstration coincides with the FVW Travel Talk Congress taking place from February 15 to 19 in the capital, a significant event in the German tourism sector that enjoys support from the public entity Insular Tourism of Tenerife. The protest is backed by the Canarian Foundation Telesforo Bravo Juan Coello.
This event, according to the aforementioned platform’s social media statements, will assemble around fifty professionals from the tourism sector along with German travel agents. Consequently, the organisation urges, “we invite everyone to gather on Sunday, February 16, at the Ramblas de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in front of the Mencey hotel, to protest against the employers at that congress.”
The Canary Islands have a limit stresses that “mass tourism is detrimental to the Canary Islands. The archipelago welcomed 18 million tourists in 2024, an utterly untenable figure. There seems to be no cap, and tourism is growing uncontrollably, leading the islands towards environmental and social collapse. We continue to wade through polluted waters and endure hours of traffic congestion daily, all while tourism surges and these issues become more severe.”
Furthermore, the same source points out that tourism “keeps ravaging the coastline, which belongs to everyone, to accommodate hotels and developments for foreign visitors”; concurrently, “the Canary Islands rank highest in Spain for poverty and social exclusion.”
The group underscores that “this tourism model does not foster wealth for the local community. Tourists can choose from countless holiday rental options, yet locals find it nearly impossible to rent a home for habitation.” They also highlight that “there is a lack of effective protection for our natural reserves, and tourists often treat the Canary Islands as if it were an amusement park, treating the environment as their playground. We can no longer visit the unique sites of our islands without being encircled by tourists. The list of issues goes on and on,” states Canary Islands have a limit.
This activist organisation reminds us that, following “multiple significant protests across the islands, the Government of the Canary Islands has disregarded the voices of the residents; thus, this will be the first of several acts of protest against unrestricted mass tourism, which is endangering the islands,” they convey in a statement meant to encourage participation in this upcoming demonstration.
