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Britons holidaying in the Canary Islands have been warned that a protest is set to take place on April 20.
In holiday hotspots Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and La Palma, locals will reportedly take to the streets against overtourism. The protest is being organised under the slogan, “The Canary Islands have a limit”.
‘It’s like everything is made for British and German tourists who just want to drink cheap beer, lay in the sun and eat burgers and chips’
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Tourists are often noisy and contribute to pollution by littering. What’s more, increasing demand for Airbnbs has driven up rent costs.
Ivan Cerdeña Molina is helping to organise the protest as part of his role at local conservation group ATAN (Asociación Tinerfeña de Amigos de la Naturaleza).
He said: “It’s a crisis, we have to change things urgently, people are living in their cars and even in caves, and locals can’t eat, drink, or live well.
“Airbnb and Booking.com are like a cancer that is consuming the island bit by bit,” he told MailOnline.
He acknowledged the benefits of the tourism industry but claimed that these “are not trickling down to everyday people”.
Some locals are calling for the departure of a certain type of tourist – but not all holidaymakers.
Local painter Vicky Colomer said: “I feel like a foreigner here, I don’t feel comfortable anymore, it’s like everything is made for British and German tourists who just want to drink cheap beer, lay in the sun and eat burgers and chips.
“We need higher quality tourists who actually want to experience our culture and food and respect our nature.”
Despite the protest warning, Britons should not be deterred from visiting the Spanish archipelago.
Canary Islands president Fernando Clavijo called for locals to use their “common sense”, explaining that tourism is the “main source of employment and wealth” for the local economy, he said in a statement.
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Canary Islands president said that it’s ‘irresponsible to attack our main source of employment and wealth’
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He added that it is “irresponsible to attack our main source of employment and wealth”.
Britons have clapped back at anti-tourist feelings in the Canary Islands, with some GB News readers threatening to boycott the holiday hotspot.
In response to signs in Tenerife reading, “Tourists go home”, one holidaymaker said: “Won’t go where I’m not wanted, I can spend my money anywhere.”
Another seconded this: “Simple, just don’t go, plenty of other sunny places to go and spend money, see how long the moaning goes on when no money coming into the area.”
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