Tenerife’s anti-tourism protests are being led by a WELSHMAN as ‘hypocrisy’ sparks outrage

The man leading Tenerife’s anti-tourism protests has sparked outrage after it was revealed he was born in Wales.

Brian Harrison, 57, who originally hails from Bridgend, is campaigning to tax holidaymakers coming to the popular Spanish island.

Harrison, who is secretary general of Salvar La Tejita, is calling for curbs on the number of holidaymakers allowed to come to the Canaries.

Salvar La Tejita was set up in 2016 to protest after a new hotel being built in the southern Tenerife beauty spot where Harrison lives.

It is now a Spanish-wide campaign, with thousands of protesters taking to the streets.

Protesters, who sprayed water guns at holidaymakers, took to the streets in the Canaries, Balearics and Barcelona.

The 57-year-old admitted he is frequently asked: “Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical?”

Harrison, who has lived in Spain for three decades, told The Telegraph: “I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere.”

He added: “I didn’t just go on holiday to Spain and stay there, I made a plan to move here when I was in my early 20s and I’ve lived here for most of my life.”

However, the Welsh engineer denied claims that his group is completely against tourists.

He instead claimed that it is taking issue with the number of people flocking to his adopted home.

Figures show that 11 million international visitors touched down in Spain in July, with 2.6 million coming from the UK.

Harrison explained how the number visiting Spain has skyrocketed in recent years.

He said: “The problem is not the people who come here, but the huge numbers of people who come, the volume.

“For an island that has limited space, it is unsustainable. This is the problem.”

A spokesperson for Salvar La Tejita has also defended Harrison’s involvement.

Daniel Duque, 46, said Harrison is one of the association’s most active members.

Durque said: “It’s better for us that he is British because it dispels the myth that all British people want more tourists.”

He added: “We know we owe a lot to tourists but it has to change.

“We have to leave behind the ‘tourism of quantity’ and replace it with the ‘tourism of quality’.”