Brit holidaymakers appear unfazed by the heated protests erupting around them as locals across the Canary Islands took to the sands to vent their frustration over soaring tourism levels.
As tourism figures keep climbing, islanders made their voices heard on Sunday (October 20), marching right by sun-worshippers lounging in blissful ignorance. While some Brits remained blissfully ensconced on their sunbeds, oblivious to the commotion, one lass found a bit of banter in the situation, flashing a peace sign, and another bloke was spotted engrossed in his mobile, chilling in the cracking weather, according to Birmingham Live.
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(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The recent demonstrations are among the biggest seen in ages on this issue in the area, with 20 groups rallying together under the banner ‘Canary Islands have a limit’.
A key gripe they’re airing is that the current tourist boom is driving up housing prices, pushing out the local population. Sarah Lopez, 32, from Gran Canaria, involved in the protests, said: “We need a change in the tourist model so it leaves richness here, a change so it values what this land has because it is beautiful.”
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Protestors were seen marching across the islands, brandishing banners expressing anti-tourism sentiments. One banner read “The Canaries Don’t Live off Tourism. Tourism lives off the Canaries”, while another stated “Enjoying a day at your pool?,” reports the Manchester Evening News.
“That water could be going on food,” said another. Other messages included “Macrotourism destroys Canary Islands” and “The Canaries have a limit”.
More trees, less hotels. ‘ The Spanish government reported that this was one of the largest protests on the issue to date, with 8,000 people participating in demonstrations across the islands.
According to the Spanish National Statistics Institute, from January to September this year, tourist visits to the Canary Islands increased by 10.3% from the same period last year, reaching 9.9 million.
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