‘Tourists go home!’ Terrified beach-goers mobbed by hundreds of protesters in Tenerife
Holiday-makers in Tenerife were left stunned after hundreds of anti-tourist protesters stormed a beach on the Spanish island.
A mob wielding placards staged a protest at Tenerife’s Troya Beach, yelling slogans such as “more tourists, more misery” and “the Canary Islands are not for sale”.
Similar protests took place in Gran Canaria, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro, where frustrated locals vented their anger at the influx of tourists to Spain, which they claim is negatively impacting their lives.
Pictures have emerged of holiday-makers relaxing on the beach being penned in by hoards of vexed locals.
Many brought drums and whistles along with them to make their anger heard as they walked along the coastline.
Protesters were also heard shouting “there’s not enough beds for so many foreigners”.
One carried a sign that read ”Enjoying a day at your pool? That water could be going on food” while another had a placard that said: “The Canaries have a limit. More trees, less hotels.”
Many beach-goers decided to leave after being surrounded by protesters and taunted by banners which read “Go Home Tourist”.
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Demonstrators have said that the number of tourists the Canary Islands attract – 16 million last year and a predicted 17 million this year – is unsustainable.
Around 2,000 people were believed to have joined the march in Tenerife, a significant decrease from April, when similar protests took place in the island’s capital Santa Cruz.
However, Brian Harrison, who lived in Wales before moving to the holiday hot spot in 1991, said that the number was in fact much larger: “You can add a zero to that.”
In recent months, locals across Spain have staged anti-tourism protests, claiming that they are being out-priced out of their neighbourhoods by expats who earn more money.
After the pandemic, many remote workers have been moving to Spain for a cheaper and sunnier life. This, coupled with expats often earning more than the locals, has resulted in many residents feeling like they are being pushed out.
Stickers have been plastered on buildings, reading: “More tourists? No thanks”, “Stop Tourism” and “Tourists go home — you are not welcome here.”
Spain has begun to clamp down on short-term and seasonal holiday lettings, with locals demanding an end of “touristification”.
It plans to investigate listings on platforms such as Airbnb, ABNB.O, and Booking.com BKNG.O to verify if they have licences.
Tenerife hotel worker Oliver Alayon, who viewed the beach protest, said: “Seeing things like this makes me feel ashamed.
“It’s not the tourists who come here on holiday that are to blame. It’s the fault of those who wear suits and ties.”