Thousands of anti-tourism protesters swarm holidaymakers on Canary Islands

Nearly 7,000 protesters took holidaymakers by surprise across the Spanish Canary Islands over the weekend

Thousands of Spanish anti-tourism protesters swarmed beaches across the Canary Islands on Sunday while holidaymakers were trying to enjoy the sun with their families.

Under the slogan “Canarias has a limit,” about 6,500 demonstrators descended on tourism hotspots in Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Playa de las Américas and Maspalomas, government officials said.

Protesters say tourism has priced locals out of the housing market and has caused problems with traffic, water and sewage. The local government has ignored their concerns, they added.

They held signs labelled: “Can’t wait to get off work and swim in sewage” and “your luxury, my misery”.

One protester said: “Mass tourism causes us a lot of problems, both in terms of traffic, water and sewage.”

Another protester explained: “It is not normal that we Canarians have to leave our land to be able to live comfortably”.

While some holidaymakers were shocked by protesters surrounding them with placards, others understood their issues.

One tourist from Scotland said: “Some people are coming here and they are not respecting the culture. They are not respecting the locals. They are not respecting the island. And those other people who are coming here and they are respecting the culture and respecting the island.

“So I would say Tenerife relies on tourism, you know, but it doesn’t mean that anybody can come and abuse this island, you know.”

He added that he “personally believes” locals have “every right” to demonstrate about tourism

Another Scottish tourist said: “On behalf, I do apologise, but what a beautiful place. We come here, and we are respectful to the island.”

The demonstration is the most recent of the anti-tourism protests that have swept throughout Spain in the past year.

On April 12, protestors in Tenerife started a hunger strike and hundreds linked arms to form a human chain to demand the local government tackle the effects of excess tourism in the region.

There were similar protests in Ibiza and Majorca in May.

In Barcelona and the wider Catalonia region, locals protested about tourists’ water consumption – which is limited in the area.