Fresh anti-tourism graffiti spotted in Tenerife has sparked further debate about tourism in the Canary Islands.
A striking message painted in yellow and red on a building in the south of the island read “Kill A Tourist”, LBC news reports. A photo of the graffiti was shared online over the weekend by the group “Islas de Resistance.”
The Instagram bio for the group reads: “We are recovering the historical memory of social movements in the Canary Islands.”
Two major protests were held in the Canary Islands in 2024 with locals raising concerns over the impact of tourism in the Spanish islands. Thousands took to the streets, holding signs saying “Canaries have a limit” and chanted slogans such as “we are foreigners in our land”.
Similar demonstrations took place in other popular Spanish holiday destinations throughout last year, including in Majorca and Barcelona. Protestors have called for a change to current tourism models, stating that holidaymakers are having a negative impact on the environment, local infrastructure and housing.
(Image: AP)
In light of the recently-appeared graffiti, one resident, who supports the protests, told LBC: “Things on the islands are getting worse due to the large number of tourists and new residents, which leave us without homes and severely affect our natural environment.
“Things on the islands are getting worse due to the large number of tourists and new residents, which leave us without homes and severely affect our natural environment.”
But the topic has divided people in the Canary Islands. Responding to the LBC article, local news site Canarian Weekly said that the situation had been “blown out of proportion” and that “enough is enough”.
It pointed out that the protests were not “against tourists themselves”. Issuing a plea to holidaymakers, the publication said: “It is important that people understand that the actions of a few do not reflect the feelings of the masses.
“We know we need tourism for our islands to flourish and be successful, but sustainable tourism and sensible tourist numbers so that the quality of life for the people that live and work here isn’t negatively affected, which it is becoming right now.”
Tourism plays an important role in the Canary Islands economy. In 2024 the islands welcomed nearly 18million visitors, around 15.5million of them were international tourists. In 2023, foreign tourists spent more than 20 billion euros in the Canary Islands, according to figures from Caixa Bank.
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