Residents of the Canary Islands have been calling for a change in the tourism model for years. The number of visitors has increased from 11.5 million to 16 million tourists per year over the past ten years.
Local authorities are continually approving large tourism projects, further exacerbating water scarcity problems. Added to this is the increasing housing shortage among locals: rents would become unaffordable due to tourism and landlords would prefer to turn to lucrative holiday home rentals. Local government representatives have now responded to the protests and suggested starting a dialogue between politicians, academics and citizens. The aim is to develop a tourism strategy that combines social, ecological and economic sustainability, says Tourism Minister Jessica de León. But the tourist is not to blame for poor political management, says De León, adding: “The patience of the citizens of the islands is understandably exhausted,” she says. The protests are reaching a new peak: On April 11, a group called “Canarias Se Agota” called for an indefinite hunger strike at the church of La Concepción in La Laguna in the north of Tenerife.