Airports in the Canary Islands are “struggling to cope” with the rising number of tourists. The increase in visitors is “putting pressure on infrastructure” at Lanzarote and Tenerife North airports, according to local news reports.
The César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport has a capacity of nine million passengers per year, but saw a total of 8,213,259 passengers in 2023, Canarian Weekly reports. It means the airport is just over 90 per cent of its maximum capacity.
Most of these passengers come from European countries including the UK and Germany, alongside “significant domestic travel” from Gran Canaria, Tenerife North, and Madrid.
READ MORE: UK tourists ‘begged’ not to cancel holidays after protests in Spain
Meanwhile Tenerife North Airport (Los Rodeos), is even closer to its limit, operating at 94.16per cent of its capacity, close to its maximum number of 6.5million passengers. This airport is facing increasing demand on its cargo facilities as well as rising passenger numbers.
According to Canarian Weekly, plans to expand or restructure the airports “are still in the early stages” despite the rising numbers. In 2023 the Canary Islands welcomed “over 14 million passengers” which has “placed significant strain on the islands’ airports.”
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Tourism has become a contentious issue for the Canary Islands. On Sunday, October 20 protests took place in holiday hotspots across the archipelago, as locals took to the streets to voice concerns over the impact of mass tourism.
Demonstrators held banners and chanted slogans such as “The Canary Islands are not for sale” and “We are foreigners in our land”. The effect of tourists on infrastructure and the environment is among the concerns, along with rising house prices due to holiday lets.
But some residents and business leaders fear the protests could put off holidaymakers from visiting the islands. They argue that the Canary Islands depend on tourism economically.
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