Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 15 Feb. (Europa Press) –
The social movement ‘Canary Islands has a limit’ has organised a protest this Sunday at 11:30 am, on the Ramblas de Santa Cruz, as a form of boycott against the German tourism industry’s ‘FVW Travel Talk’ congress taking place in the capital.
The Telesforo Bravo Foundation, a part of the platform, cautioned this week on social media that “mass tourism is ruining the Canary Islands,” citing a wholly unsustainable figure of nearly 18 million tourists last year.
“There is no ceiling, and tourism continues to expand unchecked, leading the islands towards an environmental and social collapse. We are still wading through sewage and enduring traffic jams daily, all while tourism continues to rise, exacerbating these issues.”
Criticism of the Canary Islands’ Tourist Model
According to them, “effective protection for natural reserves is lacking, and tourists visit the Canary Islands expecting a theme park environment where they can act freely.”
The Foundation underscored that “the locals” can no longer appreciate the unique places of the islands “without being surrounded by tourists, and the list is extensive.”
They strongly criticised the Canary Islands government for failing to listen to the populace following “historic protests” last year, during which it was noted that the Canary Islands “leads Spain in poverty and social exclusion,” under a tourism model that “does not generate wealth for the local communities.”
Views from the Cabildo de Tenerife
The Vice President of the Cabildo de Tenerife, Lope Afonso, remarked this week in the media that the timing of this protest is “rather unfortunate.” It coincides with a meeting that is “significant, involving a considerable number of professionals from the German tourism sector.”
In a press briefing on Wednesday regarding the agreements made during the Governing Council, Afonso stated he is “confident” that the gathering will proceed with “complete normality,” asserting that “as long as the right to assembly is exercised properly,” there should be “no issues” concerning security.
“We respect this, as we have other similar events,” he added.
The groups express frustration after 20A
“Our expectations for tomorrow’s gathering are that a large number of individuals will come forth to voice their concerns about what they perceive as madness regarding tourism policy,” stated Jaime Coello, director of the Telesforo Bravo Foundation and one of the groups convening the protest, in remarks to Europa.
He mentioned that this initiative is a response to the ongoing lack of change in the Canary Islands’ economic model, which remains overly reliant on tourism, resulting in “extreme overcrowding, diminished quality of life, and the degradation of environmental conditions, along with issues like the cradle of the earth and education.”
Coello highlighted one of the latest proposals from Tenerife’s municipality, the ‘Underwater Garden’ park in Isora, commenting: “When it becomes evident that brick and concrete are starting to gather opposition among a significant portion of the population, terms like regenerative tourism are then employed…”
He stressed that his perspective on the conservation and preservation of landscapes is that “the best intervention is one that does not happen.”
In summary, he continued, these groups are sounding the alarm about the emergence of grand projects “that threaten environmental destruction.” Coello cited the trains of Tenerife as a complete “nonsense” due to the anticipated “deterioration of quality of life” and the impact on “landscapes and ecosystems.”
Regarding the protest that these groups will orchestrate tomorrow in front of the ‘FVW Travel Talk’ congress in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Coello emphasised that this will serve to demonstrate to “employers” that there exists “the discontent” felt by “many residents of the Canary Islands” concerning the “businesses they manage.”
When asked whether dialogue has been initiated with various island administrations, Coello recalled the establishment of the ‘Canary Islands Palante’ forum, where “numerous proposals” have been presented, while “the government has yet to make a phone call or reach out to anyone.”
