Canary Islands beg UK holidaymakers to keep visiting after anti-tourist protests

Ahead of potential widespread holiday cancellations, Lanzarote and Tenerife have issued a plea to UK tourists.

Despite recent anti-tourist protests, which saw thousands of locals take to the streets on Saturday, the Canary Islands' regional tourism chief, Jessica de Leon, has reassured Brits that they are still welcome. "It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you," she confirmed to The Telegraph.

Following demonstrations across Canary Islands for a revaluation of the tourism sector, de Leon understands the local frustration but believes it's "unfair to blame tourism", Birmingham Live reports. Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, supported her stance, warning against a growing sense of "tourist-phobia".

"People who come here to visit and spend their money must not be criticised or insulted. We are playing with our main source of income," Clavijo stated. However, Gabriel Gonzalez of Podemos in Adeje, Tenerife, countered, "We have the feeling that we are not living off tourism; it is tourism that is living off us."

Adding to the debate, Néstor Marrero, secretary of the Tenerife ecology group ATAN, called for a reduction in tourist numbers. He said:"We should aim for higher-quality visitors, not people in all-included resorts who don't leave the hotel or interact with locals and our culture in any way, who engage more with the local community and culture, unlike those staying in all-inclusive resorts."

In the previous year, the islands, home to a population of 2.2 million, welcomed 13.9 million visitors. Data from Spain's National Statistics Institute reveals that 33.8 per cent of Canary Islanders are at risk of poverty or social exclusion, the highest rate for any region except Andalucia.

Clavijo informed reporters this week: "All the actions this government has taken have been based on a revision of this model," and "The Canaries tourist model has been a successful one, but obviously, as with anything, there are things that could be perfected."

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