While severe weather systems and tropical cyclones moved into parts of Italy from Friday into Saturday with many tourist hotspots seeing extreme flooding, anti-tourism protesters in Spain’s Canary Islands were making their voices heard on Sunday in an attempt to stop tourists from overtaking the popular vacation destination.
The unfortunate, common denominator in both unrelated news stories: British tourists.
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British Tourists And “Holidaymakers” Warned by UK Foreign Office Not to Travel to Italy Hotspots in Lieu of Major Floods
Vigili del Fuoco Drone shot of flooding in Valdelsa region, Italy. Image credit: Vigili del Fuoco
Many UK residents from England to Scotland, and even Ireland, will take holiday vacations this time of year due to the beginning of the “storm” season. Gray skies, heavy rain, and lack of sunshine can be overwhelming and depressing for many residents in the UK. Their escape: destinations with mild climates, loads of sunshine, and beaches.
That being said, the normally sunny Mediterranean landscape witnessed intense weather in various regions throughout the country on Friday and Saturday. Torrential rain, mudslides, landslides, flash floods, and travel disruption could be seen as far north as Emilia-Romagna, and as far south as Sicily.
In lieu of catastrophic conditions in areas that are normally inundated with British tourists this time of year, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has strictly warned Brits who are due to travel to places like the Italian Riviera in Liguria, and Bologna, to rethink their travel plans, and check with their travel providers before making their way to Bella Italia.
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Major flooding has occurred in several regions throughout the country since yesterday afternoon, leaving several towns completely underwater
Overtourism in the Canary Islands Causes Mass Anti-Tourism Protests Across Spain’s Famous Travel Destination
Shutterstock Canary Islands anti-tourism protests 2024
Like many European countries, Spain’s Canary Islands, particularly Tenerife, sees millions of tourists each year, with British tourists making up a good percentage of the mass tourism that has infiltrated the archipelagos. Since the beginning of this year (2024), 40% of the tourists who visited the Canary Islands have been British, and the tourist season is not over yet.
Over 30,000 protesters across the island chain made their voices heard, surrounding sunbathing British holidaymakers and tourists; demanding mass tourism be halted in order for residents to take control of their islands again, and protect its environment from further toxicity and damage.
Overtourism has become a cause for great concern for many tourist destinations that have witnessed their beautiful landscapes damaged both physically and environmentally, ultimately causing them to become more and more fragile each year. It also has led to property price increases for residents who rent or buy in these areas, and to less housing availability for people who want to make these locations their home.
Residents have been forced out by accommodation giants such as Airbnb. While some locations such as Florence in Italy have recently banned Airbnb properties from popping up in the historic center as of earlier this year.
Mass tourism has prompted places such as Venice in Italy, the ancient city of Dubrovnik in Croatia, Santorini in Greece, Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Athens in Greece, and many more to start charging tourists a fee for entry in hopes of reducing the number of tourists that overwhelm the areas.