The Canary Islands are pleading with the British to continue visiting, as anti-tourism protests were planned

Lanzarote and Tenerife are bracing for a wave of holiday cancellations and have issued an urgent appeal to British tourists. As anti-tourism sentiment fuels planned protests in the Canary Islands, regional tourism leader Jessica de Leon makes it clear that British visitors will still be warmly welcomed to the islands.

“It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are happy to welcome you,” assures De Leon in an interview with The Telegraph.

However, the expected mass protests planned for this Saturday express widespread discontent over the impact of tourism on the Spanish archipelago. Despite understanding the frustration emerging among locals, De Leon suggests it is “unfair to blame tourism solely for the problems”.

In a similar vein, Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands, warns that some activists are showing an alarming amount of ‘touristphobia’.

To alleviate aggrieved residents without endangering the island’s main source of income, Clavijo said: “People who come here to visit and spend their money should not be criticized or insulted. We are playing with our main source of income,” said Gabriel Gonzalez, a councilor within Adeje’s Podemos party in Tenerife, who made no secret of his objections: “We feel that we do not live from tourism; it is tourism that ours lives.”, reports Birmingham Live.

Echoing these sentiments, Nestor Marrero from an ecological group in Tenerife called ATAN said: “The number of tourists must be reduced. We must aim for higher quality visitors, not for people in all-inclusive resorts who do not leave the hotel or do not interact in any way with the local people and our culture.”

In 2023, the Canary Islands, with a population of 2.2 million, welcomed 13.9 million visitors. However, data from Spain’s National Statistical Institute shows that 33.8% of the Canary Islands population is at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest rate in any region except Andalusia.

Speaking to journalists this week, Clavijo stated: “All the actions this government has taken are based on a review of this model,” adding: “The tourism model in the Canary Islands has been successful, but it is clear that, As with anything, there are things that can be perfected.”