Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 15 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The social initiative ‘Canary Islands has a limit’ has organised a protest this Sunday at 11.30 am in the Ramblas de Santa Cruz, as a form of resistance against the ‘FVW Travel Talk’ Congress of the German tourism industry, which is taking place in the capital.
The Telesforo Bravo Foundation, one of the groups within the initiative, raised alarms this week via social media, stating that “mass tourism is ravaging the Canary Islands” with an “entirely untenable figure” of nearly 18 million tourists last year.
“There are no limits, and tourism continues to expand uncontrollably, driving the islands towards environmental and social collapse. We persist in swimming in polluted waters and endure traffic jams daily, while tourism keeps increasing, exacerbating these issues.”
Critique of the Canary Islands Tourism Model
In this context, it was emphasised that “tourists can find numerous holiday rental options, while for locals, it is virtually impossible to secure a property to reside in.”
According to him, “there is insufficient protection of natural reserves, and tourists visit the Canary Islands expecting to act as though it were a theme park where they can behave however they please.”
The Foundation highlighted that “the locals” can no longer appreciate the unique sites of the islands “without being surrounded by tourists, and the list of grievances is extensive.”
They have condemned the Canary Islands government for “not listening to the populace” following last year’s “historical demonstrations” when the Canary Islands “lead Spain in poverty and social exclusion”, with a tourist model that “fails to create wealth for the local population.”
Views from the Cabildo de Tenerife
The vice president of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Lope Afonso, expressed this week to the press that this demonstration is not occurring at a “particularly opportune time”, as it coincides with a meeting that gathers a significant portion of the German professional tourism sector.
At a press conference this Wednesday, regarding the agreements of the Governing Council, Afonso stated he is “confident” that the demonstration will occur “without incident”, asserting that “as long as the right to assemble is exercised correctly”, there should be “no issues” regarding safety.
“We respect it as we have respected other types of gatherings,” he remarked.
Groups Lack Response After 20A
“Our expectations for tomorrow’s gathering are for a large turnout to make their discontent known regarding what can only be described as madness in tourism policy,” said Jaime Coello, the director of the Telesforo Bravo Foundation and one of the organising groups, in an interview with Europa.
He asserts that the call for action reflects the reality that, thus far, “there is no shift in the economic model in the Canary Islands, as everything continues to rely solely on tourism”, resulting in “overcrowding on our islands, a decline in quality of life, and a deterioration in environmental conditions, with abuses such as the destruction of our natural habitats.”
Coello pointed out one of the latest projects announced by the Tenerife city council, the ‘Underwater Garden’ park in the guide of Isora, stating: “When we notice that brick and concrete generate resistance among a significant sector of the population, we then adopt different labels and speak of regenerative tourism …”.
During this discussion, the director of Telesforo Bravo expressed his views concerning conservation and landscape preservation: “The best intervention is one that does not take place.”
In summary, he continued, these groups object to the initiation of large-scale projects “that threaten to devastate the environment.” Coello cited the example of the train projects in Tenerife, labelling them a complete “nonsense” due to the “loss of quality of life” and the impact on “landscapes and ecosystems” they would cause.
Regarding the protest these groups will be hosting tomorrow, in front of the ‘FVW Travel Talk’ Congress in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, he indicated that it will serve to inform “the employer” of the “discontent” felt by “many residents of the Canary Islands” regarding the “operations they are conducting.”
When asked about the possibility of dialogue with various island administrations, Coello recalled the formation of the ‘Canary Islands Palante’ forum, where “many proposals” converge, while “the government has yet to make a phone call or reach out to anyone”.
