Beware of what you wish for - Canary Islands

[maison]

I sympathise with their sentiments but if tourism stops there will be massive unemployment.

Lanzarote 'on brink of collapse' as Brits warned to stay away from Canary Island — Manchester Evening News

The Canary Island is set to be hit by mass protests from April 20 as locals take action over 'over tourism'

apple.news

 

[David and Sally]

Similar in Spain. Graffiti saying Tourists and ExPats go home.
Yes, they have issues, but not as many issues as they would have if we obeyed those signs.

 

[EuroTrotters]

I mentioned similar here.

Cant win

Hit by Tourist Tax

Now on Campsite just below Barcelona, got charged 3.25 Euro's Tourist Tax , first time in 6 weeks here , goodness me thie Government is going to take in millions mind you even Wales is thinking about it or may have introduced it since I have been away,other countries are doing it. One...

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

 

[EuroTrotters]

I think, recent Statistics mentioned Benidorm gets 52% of its business from Brits !

If just 1/2 decided to go elsewhere. Turkey, Egypt, North Africa etc. That would be a massive loss of tourism.

Places like Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona are hot Spots for Americans and other nationalities who are re-locating there.

 

[seasideBill]

I see the locals are kicking off again today about the downsides of mass tourism. Lanzarote & Fuerteventura are two of my favourite spots in the winter months. However, folks won’t go where they’re not welcome so I hope they’re not shooting themselves in the foot. As the saying goes….you can’t have your cake and eat it. Tourism is 34% of the economy and accounts for 40% of all jobs. I live in Cornwall and understand the ambivalence to tourism but they need to make a choice. The notion that you can impose NIMBY style controls on tourism without taking a big hit economically is a bit niave.

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[StillGoing]

I see the locals are kicking off again today about the downsides of mass tourism. Lanzarote & Fuerteventura are two of my favourite spots in the winter months. However, folks won’t go where they’re not welcome so I hope they’re not shooting themselves in the foot. As the saying goes….you can’t have your cake and eat it. Tourism is 34% of the economy and accounts for 40% of all jobs. I live in Cornwall and understand the ambivalence to tourism but they need to make a choice. The notion that you can impose NIMBY style controls on tourism without taking a big hit economically is a bit niave.

They were happy to see me in Lanzarote during Covid when businesses were struggling to stay afloat.

 

[Tombola]

Over exaggerated according to the locals

"Absolute krapp. The protest is tiny and consists of six tents, a foldup table and some hippy-types collecting signatures. A similar protest in Tenerife's La Laguna (six miles from the capital Santa Cruz) was also laughed off in their local paper El Dia.
Their only sensible point is the lack of social housing by the krapp Cabildo (local canary government). In the UK, social housing is at 7% - close to the European average. Spain is 3% and it really does show here."

 

[Bleau’s]

Left Lanzarote 8 hrs ago most of the locals do not know what it's all about glad to see us.

 

[BobJayne]

We're here now for 4 weeks.
Not noticed anything.

 

[gpat]

I sympathise with their sentiments but if tourism stops there will be massive unemployment.

Lanzarote 'on brink of collapse' as Brits warned to stay away from Canary Island — Manchester Evening News

The Canary Island is set to be hit by mass protests from April 20 as locals take action over 'over tourism'

apple.news

I don't think they want to stop tourism. They want to limit it in certain areas as the amount of building is just getting too much.

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[makems]

I think, recent Statistics mentioned Benidorm gets 52% of its business from Brits !

If just 1/2 decided to go elsewhere. Turkey, Egypt, North Africa etc. That would be a massive loss of tourism.

Places like Alicante, Valencia and Barcelona are hot Spots for Americans and other nationalities who are re-locating there.

We have been in Benidorm for the last week and apart from visiting the medical centre we have hardly heard any language except English. Gwen broke her ankle in a fall a week ago and needed an operation to insert a plate screws and pins. No alcohol was involved in the accident! Spanish hospital is a culture shock and care is very different to what we are used to. But alls well that ends well

 

[BikerGraham]

Seem to remember them encouraging the tourists to go and help their economy, just after the lockdowns

 

[Mullet Man]

Over exaggerated according to the locals

"Absolute krapp. The protest is tiny and consists of six tents, a foldup table and some hippy-types collecting signatures. A similar protest in Tenerife's La Laguna (six miles from the capital Santa Cruz) was also laughed off in their local paper El Dia.
Their only sensible point is the lack of social housing by the krapp Cabildo (local canary government). In the UK, social housing is at 7% - close to the European average. Spain is 3% and it really does show here."

Really? Just watched a CH4 report with literally thousands marching in protest. Not sure which island it was on.

 

[Folkranger]

We were there in January. They have my support to limit the number of Germans.

 

[BikerGraham]

We were there in January. They have my support to limit the number of Germans.

They are breeding as they heard about some sunbeds being available

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[Chris]

I’m going to Tennerife soon to drink cheap beer for a week, lay in the sun and eat burgers.

I hope that’s ok with the locals cos it’s tough shit if it isn’t.

 

[Two on Tour]

Over exaggerated according to the locals

"Absolute krapp. The protest is tiny and consists of six tents, a foldup table and some hippy-types collecting signatures. A similar protest in Tenerife's La Laguna (six miles from the capital Santa Cruz) was also laughed off in their local paper El Dia.

Yeah, right.

 

[The Wino]

I think it's the same in a lot of tourist areas it certainly is around here (Whitby). There's a recognition that the area needs tourism but equally that the popularity reduces the housing available to locals and drives prices a lot higher than nearby areas that have less tourism. I suspect the same is due in most areas popular with tourists. It's the same in Cornwall certainly a lot of locals working in low paid jobs in hospitality unable to afford to buy or rent in desirable areas. I'm not really sure what the answer is.

 

[weejocky]

Let's face it. If Spain had the same weather as Scotland, no one would go there. It has zero to recommend it, practically zero culture, unless you call killing bulls culture. If smoking were an art form then they might be looked upon as cultured. Everyone dresses like they shopped at a 1970's C&A store. Spain doesn't even have a breakfast preferring horrible muddy coffee and a fag. The tutting and chin pointing, and everywhere the faint smell of sewage. Weather is the only thing it has going for it. I go only for sun. Hopefully global warming will sort that out soon and we won't need a ferry to find some.

 

[Chris]

Let's face it. If Spain had the same weather as Scotland, no one would go there. It has zero to recommend it, practically zero culture, unless you call killing bulls culture. If smoking were an art form then they might be looked upon as cultured. Everyone dresses like they shopped at a 1970's C&A store. Spain doesn't even have a breakfast preferring horrible muddy coffee and a fag. The tutting and chin pointing, and everywhere the faint smell of sewage. Weather is the only thing it has going for it. I go only for sun. Hopefully global warming will sort that out soon and we won't need a ferry to find some.

The smell of sewage is the best part for me.

My wife has a very sensitive sense of smell and she has a bit of a fit if she can smell drains or toilets.

It is a source of much amusement to me.

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[The Wino]

Let's face it. If Spain had the same weather as Scotland, no one would go there. It has zero to recommend it, practically zero culture, unless you call killing bulls culture. If smoking were an art form then they might be looked upon as cultured. Everyone dresses like they shopped at a 1970's C&A store. Spain doesn't even have a breakfast preferring horrible muddy coffee and a fag. The tutting and chin pointing, and everywhere the faint smell of sewage. Weather is the only thing it has going for it. I go only for sun. Hopefully global warming will sort that out soon and we won't need a ferry to find some.

Odd to come from a country with numerous wetherspoons and look at a country with thousands of tapas bars as inferior!

 

[Spriddler]

Gwen broke her ankle in a fall a week ago and needed an operation to insert a plate screws and pins. .....Spanish hospital is a culture shock and care is very different to what we are used to.

I'm not sure whether you mean it's better than or not so good as in U.K.............

 

[Folkranger]

They are breeding as they heard about some sunbeds being available

plenty available when I was there but all had towels on

 

[nicholsong]

plenty available when I was there but all had towels on

Canarians want to reduce the tourists?

Simple, ban all sunbeds and leave the beaches to those of us who like natural sand or pebbles.

 

[ctc]

Now what does their dislike of overwhelming numbers of foreigners remind you of?

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[JRT]

Really? Just watched a CH4 report with literally thousands marching in protest. Not sure which island it was on.

Gran Canaria I believe and yes the protest was significant.

And yes I am happy to stay away and assist with their shooting themselves in their feet.

 

[The Wino]

Now what does their dislike of overwhelming numbers of foreigners remind you of?

It's sadly human nature to some extent. People in Whitby who complain about too many visitors have really odd ( to me)) attitudes. They don't like visitors staying near where they live as they say they're noisy but I suspect then go away themselves and are noisy near other people. I suspect there's a bit of a dislike of people not local let alone from other countries!

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

It's the main reason we won't go to Cornwall why have a derogatory name for people keeping their businesses open and as soon as you pull up someone wants money to park shop bar the multinational concerns so they can keep it It's ferries for me.

 

[Yorick]

Oh God. The usual false news and knee jerk reaction

NOBODY is against tourists.

Read this for the truth...

Yesterday’s protests about the effects of mass tourism on the Canary Islands have received wide coverage in the British and international press.

The BBC, Sky, Reuters, the Guardian, the Independent, Euronews and several other organisations all reported on the protests, and coverage was generally fair, stressing that the marches were not against tourists or tourism, but the effects of the island’s current model of mass tourism.

Even the Mail Online produced a balanced report, although it did not miss the opportunity to reprint photos of the rare examples of anti-tourist graffiti that popped up in Tenerife a few months ago.

The Daily Telegraph published a strongly supportive opinion piece by senior travel writer, Greg Dickinson which described the protests as “entirely sensible”.

Dickinson wrote that tourists can also “be part of the solution rather than the problem.”

“What this looks like, in practice,” he wrote “is staying with locally owned hotels. It is eating in independent, family run restaurants and cafes. It is tipping the waiter. It is travelling in the shoulder season, where possible. It is limiting our water usage while on holiday. It is using one towel. It is behaving in a way that we would behave in our home town (and, hell, maybe even calling out those who aren’t doing so).”

 

[David and Sally]

Now what does their dislike of overwhelming numbers of foreigners remind you of?

If you are referring to immigration and tourism there is a vast difference. Tourists go home.

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