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Anti-tourist sentiment Canary Isles

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By *ord and Lillia OP   Couple
11 weeks ago

Turunç, Turkey

We are looking to go on holiday in June and we are not looking to spend a great deal of money on a week's break so in our budget range is Turkey and the Canary Islands.

We have been to PDI twice now in the last couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed our time there but I have been reading a few articles that pop up now and then about the locals protesting about over-tourism on the islands. Things ranging from a handful of people shouting at the new arrivals, holding placards telling us to go home to other less obvious things like the airport crews being slow on purpose taking 90 minutes at times to get luggage on the carousels for collection. Things like a lack of airport staff to assist with enquiries, not enough of a police presence for trouble that might occur, taxi ranks being under provided so people wait up to two hours to be able to leave Gran Canaria airport.

Is this a case of the tabloid media over hyping things? Is it that these events are random and low in number or is there a genuine issue brewing that might make it uncomfortable for conflict-averse people like ourselves?

I have read it's not just GC that's had these issues, Tenerife and Fuertaventura have also been mentioned in the articles.

So the question is to those who have been in the last month or so, have you seen anything like this there? We have walked passed anti-tourist graffiti in PDI before which okay isn't much but still not nice.

Any relevant comments greatly appreciated before we decide to 'play safe' and enjoy Turkey instead.

-Lord.

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By *den_GCCouple
11 weeks ago

San Fernando, Gran Canaria

As an expat living in Gran Canaria, specifically PDI, I have seen NOTHING of this

There were protests in Tenerife a few weeks ago but they were hotel workers conditions and pay NOT tourism, although they were put out in the news as anti-tourist protests

In PDI, we need tourists, we are a holiday destination island and cannot survive without tourists

The tourists go and PDI hospitality establishments will die

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By *ord and Lillia OP   Couple
11 weeks ago

Turunç, Turkey


"In PDI, we need tourists, we are a holiday destination island and cannot survive without tourists

The tourists go and PDI hospitality establishments will die"

It does make me wonder how many jobs would be lost and how the islands would survive without tourism. Clearly there is a need for some kind of inward cash flow because without it, the Canarys are basically desert islands in the Atlantic and next thing you know, nobody wants to live there because clean water costs too much . Let alone food and basic necessities.

I am probably overreacting but if these articles have made us consider Turkey instead, I wonder how many other holidays have been affected by the same 'news' .

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By *athnBobCouple
11 weeks ago

sandwell

Didn't see anything that you described when we were there last month.

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By *ale4FunCouple
11 weeks ago

Lanarkshire/Canaries

We were in PDI last month. Never saw anything like that at all. Think we left the airport about 20 minutes after landing and no taxi queue so we at our villa in just about one hour. Guess it’s the media! 🙄

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By *oy2000xMan
11 weeks ago

Belfast

You missing the point. Is.not against turism is against the turism model. And the poor conditions and salary of workers on the island. And the fact the islands a dying of sucess, locals cant find a resonable property to rent or buy due to other people renting out to tourist. There is around 2.million residents on the island, last year 17 million tourist this year we expect 18 million. So yes to bring tourist but agains destroying more beaches, no more new hotels, better conditions for the workers. You get good service in the canary islands and is safer and other destinys. But the big hotels and travel agencys make most of the.profit, locales are against all inclusive because kills local and small business.

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By *oy2000xMan
11 weeks ago

Belfast


"You missing the point. Is.not against turism is against the turism model. And the poor conditions and salary of workers on the island. And the fact the islands a dying of sucess, locals cant find a resonable property to rent or buy due to other people renting out to tourist. There is around 2.million residents on the island, last year 17 million tourist this year we expect 18 million. So yes to bring tourist but agains destroying more beaches, no more new hotels, better conditions for the workers. You get good service in the canary islands and is safer and other destinys. But the big hotels and travel agencys make most of the.profit, locales are against all inclusive because kills local and small business."

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By *losxTV/TS
11 weeks ago

East Midlands

You need to stop reading the Daily Mail.

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By *losxTV/TS
11 weeks ago

East Midlands

That was meant to be addressed to the thread starter.

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By *ncubus1976Man
10 weeks ago

Fuerteventura/Gran Canaria


"We are looking to go on holiday in June and we are not looking to spend a great deal of money on a week's break so in our budget range is Turkey and the Canary Islands.

We have been to PDI twice now in the last couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed our time there but I have been reading a few articles that pop up now and then about the locals protesting about over-tourism on the islands. Things ranging from a handful of people shouting at the new arrivals, holding placards telling us to go home to other less obvious things like the airport crews being slow on purpose taking 90 minutes at times to get luggage on the carousels for collection. Things like a lack of airport staff to assist with enquiries, not enough of a police presence for trouble that might occur, taxi ranks being under provided so people wait up to two hours to be able to leave Gran Canaria airport.

Is this a case of the tabloid media over hyping things? Is it that these events are random and low in number or is there a genuine issue brewing that might make it uncomfortable for conflict-averse people like ourselves?

I have read it's not just GC that's had these issues, Tenerife and Fuertaventura have also been mentioned in the articles.

So the question is to those who have been in the last month or so, have you seen anything like this there? We have walked passed anti-tourist graffiti in PDI before which okay isn't much but still not nice.

Any relevant comments greatly appreciated before we decide to 'play safe' and enjoy Turkey instead.

-Lord. "

Hi there....

I'm Spanish from the Canary Islands... and I just tell you all THERE IS NO AN ANTI-TOURIST SENTIMENT here in the islands...

If you have read a few articles about local protests agianst tourism they are a very few stupid brainless stinky leftists protesting against any random thing... against tourists, suporting Hammas or the color of the buterflies.... they are just lazy subsidised people.

Enjoy your visit

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By *cotman2025Man
10 weeks ago

Surrey & Glasgow


"As an expat living in Gran Canaria, specifically PDI, I have seen NOTHING of this

There were protests in Tenerife a few weeks ago but they were hotel workers conditions and pay NOT tourism, although they were put out in the news as anti-tourist protests

In PDI, we need tourists, we are a holiday destination island and cannot survive without tourists

The tourists go and PDI hospitality establishments will die"

I agree, I was in Tenerife a few weeks ago. The protests were well managed and light hearted. The workers were just trying to get their point across peacefully. I have been in PDI multiple times and returning in June and wouldn’t give it a second thought. I’ll be going for years to come with a bit of luck

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By *issing_swanMan
10 weeks ago

swansea


"We are looking to go on holiday in June and we are not looking to spend a great deal of money on a week's break so in our budget range is Turkey and the Canary Islands.

We have been to PDI twice now in the last couple of years and thoroughly enjoyed our time there but I have been reading a few articles that pop up now and then about the locals protesting about over-tourism on the islands. Things ranging from a handful of people shouting at the new arrivals, holding placards telling us to go home to other less obvious things like the airport crews being slow on purpose taking 90 minutes at times to get luggage on the carousels for collection. Things like a lack of airport staff to assist with enquiries, not enough of a police presence for trouble that might occur, taxi ranks being under provided so people wait up to two hours to be able to leave Gran Canaria airport.

Is this a case of the tabloid media over hyping things? Is it that these events are random and low in number or is there a genuine issue brewing that might make it uncomfortable for conflict-averse people like ourselves?

I have read it's not just GC that's had these issues, Tenerife and Fuertaventura have also been mentioned in the articles.

So the question is to those who have been in the last month or so, have you seen anything like this there? We have walked passed anti-tourist graffiti in PDI before which okay isn't much but still not nice.

Any relevant comments greatly appreciated before we decide to 'play safe' and enjoy Turkey instead.

-Lord. "

Was there in pdi two weeks ago not a protester in sight

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By *ruce50Man
10 weeks ago

cork city

Agree lot of rubbish about protests was in gran canaria for the month of January also a week in April no signs of any protests it seem uk newspaper's articles are untrue.

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By *lternative lifestyleCouple
10 weeks ago

Louth

Here now! And it's fine

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By *ackdog10Man
10 weeks ago

selsy

Ten weeks in tenerife last winter.didnt see or here a thing.

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By *litalicious_CoupleCouple
10 weeks ago

North East

Seems to be media hype again. We've visited pdi twice already this year, as well as Lanzarote and have had absolutely no issues at all.

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By *ayhung300Man
10 weeks ago

London

I look forward to living in PDI some day

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By *ord and Lillia OP   Couple
9 weeks ago

Turunç, Turkey


"You need to stop reading the Daily Mail."

Funny. And irrelevant. I stopped listening to the Daily Fail a couple of decades ago. But when articles like this :

BBC News - Spain clamps down on Airbnb as tourism backlash returns for summer - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wdd8lg581o appear today , showing that sonething happened, it makes me wonder.

Thank you to the people who contributed to this thread. We have booked Turkey. When the world calms down some more, we'll rethink about the Canarys. We've had some of our best times there .

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By *ord and Lillia OP   Couple
9 weeks ago

Turunç, Turkey

BBC News - Spain clamps down on Airbnb as tourism backlash returns for summer - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wdd8lg581o

In case the link is broken.

The idea of 'thousands' of people protesting about the basic fact that we are there just doesn't sit well .

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By *essysteveCouple
9 weeks ago

ALICANTE AREA SPAIN

this is all scaremongering by the British press. We live in Spain and yesy,property prices have gone up a lot and local youngsters are struggling to get on the property ladder but that is nodifferent than in the UK.

Spain need ot look at minimum wages and look to building affordable housing for the youngsters

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By *OVERSUP2004Man
9 weeks ago

Guildford

[Removed by poster at 22/05/25 00:53:20]

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By *OVERSUP2004Man
9 weeks ago

Guildford


"BBC News - Spain clamps down on Airbnb as tourism backlash returns for summer - BBC News

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wdd8lg581o

In case the link is broken.

The idea of 'thousands' of people protesting about the basic fact that we are there just doesn't sit well . "

I think you have completely misunderstood what the protests are about, the protests are not against the actual tourists but against the way that that housing is being oversold for tourism and in some cases actually misused as unlicensed holiday accommodation.

I have been in Gran Canaria when the protests have been on and at no time have the protests been directed towards actual tourists.

The UK media is for some strange reason trying to exaggerate the issue and create uncertainty over how welcome those visiting Spain and in particular the Canaries are when we are as welcome now as we have always been.

Gran Canaria along with the other islands want and need tourists and the employment that tourism brings they just want their own government to tighten up the regulations that control it by the way that actually includes protecting us the tourists from unscrupulous owners renting out sub standard accommodation.

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By *etWetWet453Couple
9 weeks ago

CAMBERLEY

I never believe anything I read in the papers, except the date - and even then, I still check my calendar.

As for the British Bullshitting Corporation - not sure who`s worse, them or the Daily Fail.

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By *ustusboth2013Couple
8 weeks ago

Birmingham

Since this has been going on, I’ve been to GC, Lanza and Tenerife. The only remote thing I experienced was “Tourists go home” sprayed on a wall near garrachico, which wouldn’t get massive exposure.

That said, we’ve been welcomed by locals but understand that the model is dated and needs to be updated to:

1) Allow affordable living for locals.

2) Challenge Airbnb where locals are outpriced on accommodation and typically have distances to travel to resorts to work.

3) Offer some preservation to landmarks that need protection to maintain their beauty and existence.

4) Locals question where this income goes from tourism and have nothing to show.

I’m sure there’s a contrasting argument to each of these points, but the experience versus what I see in the tabloids that pop up on my browser feed are a stark contrast.

And anyone in doubt, I’d say go and visit, you will be welcomed.

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