STORY: :: Thousands protest in Spain’s Canary Islands to call for a change in the tourism model
:: Maspalomas, Spain
:: October 20, 2024
:: Sara Lopez, Protester
“I think the Canary Islands need a change in the tourism model so it benefits the region. A change that values what this land has, because it is beautiful and we want value to be given to the Canary Islands population with dignifying conditions so we can enjoy our land with a sustainable tourism management.”
Residents demonstrated simultaneously in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Palma, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote and El Hierro and called for a change in the tourism model for the islands.
Between January and September, 9.9 million tourists visited the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute, 10.3% more than in the same period in 2023. The islands’ population was 2.2 million last year.
Tourism-dependent Spain has seen a series of protests against over tourism this year in Barcelona, and other popular holiday destinations like Mallorca and Malaga.