tourism-sparks-mass-protests-in-spains-canary-islands/spain-canary-island-protest/” data-orig-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.arabtimesonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spain-canary-island-protest.jpg?fit=576%2C300&ssl=1″ data-orig-size=”576,300″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}” data-image-title=”spain-canary-island-protest” data-image-description=”” data-image-caption=”” data-medium-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.arabtimesonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spain-canary-island-protest.jpg?fit=300%2C156&ssl=1″ data-large-file=”https://i0.wp.com/www.arabtimesonline.com/news/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/spain-canary-island-protest.jpg?fit=576%2C300&ssl=1″ alt=”” class=”wp-image-222755″ style=”width:668px;height:auto” data-recalc-dims=”1″/>Calls for change: Thousands protest mass tourism in Canary Islands.
SPAIN, April 21: Tens of thousands of residents in Spain’s Canary Islands have taken to the streets to protest against what they perceive as an overwhelming model of mass tourism in the Atlantic archipelago. The demonstrators are calling for stricter limits on tourist numbers and measures to control what they deem as unchecked development detrimental to the environment and local communities.
Despite making up 35% of the Canaries’ economy, the tourism industry has sparked widespread concern among residents. In 2023 alone, the islands welcomed 13.9 million tourists, a staggering figure compared to the archipelago’s population of 2.2 million. tourism also dominates the job market, employing 40% of the local workforce.
While the UK and Germany remain key tourism markets, the Canary Islands are also popular among mainland Spaniards, drawn by the allure of…
