Many cities in Spain, starting with the Canary Islands, are drowning in tourists, leading to demonstrations in this region and others such as Mallorca and the rest of the Balearic Islands, Malaga and Granada by locals, who consider mass tourism harmful to their country.
The first demonstration was in Santa Cruz, Tenerife on April 20 under the banner “Canarias se agota”, which means that the Canary Islands have exceeded their endurance. There was a great resonance at the demonstration, as 50,000 protesters gathered to demand the cessation of the construction of the hotels.
As far as the rest of Spain is concerned, it appears that in Mallorca a collective of environmental and trade union organizations was mobilized, but in the Balearic Islands, as well as in Ibiza, residents strongly asked to participate in decisions concerning tourism, as it concerns all citizens.
A large demonstration against overtourism is also planned in Malaga on June 29. The aim is to highlight the strong dissatisfaction of residents with the impact of overtourism on their quality of life.
Since the protest in Tenerife, package holiday sales reported by companies such as TUI and Jet2Holidays have increased by a third. Contributing to this are the ongoing promotions from major tour operators, offering affordable family trips to Tenerife.
In Spain, according to reports, a national movement against overtourism is being promoted under the general slogan “Say Less, Do More” in terms of managing and mitigating the effects of overtourism.
