Canary Islands Protests Intensify Over Tourism Surge

The Canary Islands are facing mounting unrest as mass tourism surges, especially in Fuerteventura where British visitors now outnumber Germans, intensifying concerns about infrastructure and environmental strain. Recent protests have drawn tens of thousands of residents across Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and even in mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands. Organized by groups like 'The Canary Islands have a limit,' demonstrators are demanding an eco-tax, a moratorium on new tourist accommodations, stricter short-term rental regulations, and controls on property purchases by non-residents to combat housing shortages and overwhelmed public services. The protests reflect local frustration with the growing influence of influencer-driven tourism and a tourism model perceived as prioritizing investors over residents. Despite repeated demonstrations, locals report little progress, intensifying calls for sustainable and equitable tourism reforms. The unrest is part of a broader movement seen in other Spanish regions grappling with similar issues.