Demonstrations against the mass-tourism model in the Canary Islands, organised by "Canarias tiene un límite", have taken place across the archipelago today, with thousands of protestors taking to the streets in main tourist areas including Las Americas (Tenerife), Maspalomas (Gran Canaria), Puerto del Carmen (Lanzarote), and Corralejo in Fuerteventura.
In Tenerife, protestors surprised tourists by marching straight across the beach chanting “This beach is ours!” According to footage captured by photojournalist Fran Pallero for Diario de Avisos, the protestors, armed with banners and shouting slogans against the current tourism model, took over the beach in what has become the most prominent scene of the day's events.
The protest began at the Metrópolis Centre on the seafront promenade, but a portion of the demonstrators decided to bring their message directly to the heart of the island's tourism sector. As they moved across the sand, they shouted slogans like “The Canaries are not for sale” and “More tourists, more misery,” capturing the attention of holidaymakers who were there to enjoy the sun and sea, as you can see in this video.
The organisers have emphasised that they are not against tourists, but that their goal is to raise awareness of the problems mass tourism is causing in the Canary Islands.
They are calling for concrete measures to curb tourism growth, such as a moratorium on new hotel construction and a re-evaluation of the economic model, which they believe is pushing the Canary Islands to the brink of collapse for the people that live here, due to overcrowding, environmental destruction, and the worsening housing market.
As the day unfolded, the holidaymakers watched in bewilderment, while the demonstrators sought to make their voices heard in the ongoing debate over the future of tourism in the Canary Islands.
