Expats reveal what it's really like in the Canary Islands and say 'this is the real problem'

Expats who have switched the UK for the Canary Islands have revealed what it's really like to live on the Spanish hotspots. Thousands of locals have been protesting in the Canary Islands over what they say is overtourism.

They claimed they are being priced out of life due to 'unsustainable' levels of tourism driving up living costs and harming the environment. Protests are said to be aimed at stopping the rise in short-term holiday rentals and hotel developments.

Signs which say "We don't want to see our island die", "Stop Hotels" and "Canaries not for sale" have been seen during protests. The demonstrations have prompted concern among UK tourists thinking of jetting out to the Spanish islands.

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Some expats say they have been left 'frustrated' at how they think the protests are being seen in the UK. They fear some holidaymakers may be put off visiting the Canary Islands, Manchester Evening News reports.

John Parkes owns The Vault Bar in the resort of Los Cristianos, Tenerife - where the majority of his customers are tourists. Mr Parkes, 43, was born near Oldham but moved abroad when he was seven.

He said locals were disgruntled about a lack of affordable housing, with the price of a one-bedroom apartment doubling in recent years. Mr Parkes said the issue was due to a lack of new housing and a rise in the number of Airbnbs on Tenerife.

He said: "All the long-term accommodation got taken off the market and replaced with tourist apartments. No one can afford to live where they work anymore so everyone gets pushed out of town.

"The wages have not risen in accordance with that. The point of the protests is to revise how the island is set up for the tourist markets and look at why every single house can be rented to tourists at expense of living accommodation."

Mr Parkes said the lack of affordable accommodation, combined with low pay, had made it difficult for businesses to hire staff. He said: "If they don't drive then they can't go home if they finish late at night.

"We have other staff who come over from mainland Spain and they just can't get anywhere to live so they give up and go back." Mr Parkes said he sympathised with demands for 'reform in the tourist model' and called for more housing to be built.

He also sympathised with restrictions to control the number of properties being used as Airbnbs. But he said the message behind the protests has been 'misconstrued'.

He said: "I'm not a 'tourists go home' merchant but some of the concerns are justified," he said. "That doesn't mean that people here are holding up banners at the airport telling them to go home.

"As far as I'm concerned, everyone is welcome here. It's not an anti-British thing. The message is about the tourist model, not a specific set of people.

"There's no cause for alarm for anybody coming out here. I work with tourists every day and haven't heard of any trouble. I'm frustrated at how they are being perceived.

"This kind of thing happens everywhere where there is tourism. Even in the Lake District and Cornwall, you've got similar issues with how the accommodation has been changed from places to live to holiday homes.

"You've got to have affordable housing so there can be a harmony between residents and tourists and so businesses can have places for their staff to live."

Suzanne Goodwin, 53, moved to Lanzarote last year after visiting the island for the past 25 years. Ms Goodwin, from Sale, said locals were upset about a lack of investment in infrastructure.

Lanzarote experiences frequent problems with its water system, with the more rural parts having their supply cut off during peak tourism season. She said: "People are not complaining about tourists.

"They are complaining about all the hotels and no infrastructure being built. It's their main source of income but if we carry on growing and growing, what are we going to do about water and electricity supply?

"People want to come here because you're more or less guaranteed the weather, but they are not thinking about underlying issues of what it can cause." She said she was also concerned about how the protests were coming across to Brits in the UK, adding: "I'm not sure they are going about it the right way.

"The way it's coming across in the news is that it's against the tourists. They are not against the people, it's aimed at the government. Tourists are welcome here.

"Everyone is friendly. When we go out, we always go to the Spanish places and we've never had an issue. I've never had any hostility. Without the tourists, it wouldn't survive."

Jimmy Largey, from Blackley, has owned a holiday let on Tenerife for the past 20 years and says he supports the protesters. The lack of housing was impacting British expats, who are 'finding it impossible to find somewhere affordable' on the island, he said.

Mr Largey said: "The problem is not the English holidaymakers or any other for that matter. The problem is the greedy apartment and villa owners.

"The owners are giving notice to the workers and turning their apartments and villas into holiday lets for one purpose - more money." Mr Largey said the same families tend to stay at his holiday let 'year after year'.

But he accused other owners of having hiked their prices in recent years. He said: "I've not jumped on the gravy train.

"I was one of the originals. I agree with the protest for more housing and less hotels. The greedy owners wanted the workers in their apartments over lockdown, knowing they couldn’t get the holidaymakers then. Now it’s thank you, go find somewhere else to live.

"It’s a shortage of workers here as it is. Now bars, restaurants and hotels are crying out for staff but the staff can’t find affordable accommodation so they are leaving the island."

Chris Elkington has lived in Tenerife since 1991 after relocating from Stockport. He edits Canarian Weekly, an English-language newspaper based on the islands.

In recent weeks, he has received 'a high number of emails and messages asking if it is safe to come to Tenerife' from concerned Brits. In an open letter on the publication's Facebook page, he accused the UK media of 'sensationalising' its coverage of the protests.

He wrote: "Yes, today there are demonstrations about tourism and the fact that it is causing problems for locals… BUT, no one has said we don’t want British tourists – do you think we are that short-sighted and frankly, stupid?

"What the people in the Canary Islands, as it’s not just Tenerife, it’s all of the islands, want, is for it to be fairer. They want somewhere to live.

"They’re happy to pay but the government is allowing too many holiday homes so they’re forced out. There are people living in tents, vans, and cars on the street. Is that fair?

"They want a stop to all the new hotels being built because it's ruining the island, and where will the workers for these new hotels live? Is that fair? The Canary Islands have some of the highest tourism figures, but the 3rd lowest average wage in Spain. Is that fair?

"Please understand, this is not about you, ie British, or any other nationality of tourist, but about the current tourism model… There is a huge difference."

Anthony Caitucoli, who runs the American Indian Cafe in Puerto del Carmen, Lanzarote, said: "There’s a shortage of homes for workers and those available are expensive to rent.

"There are also issues such as sewage from hotels and apartments being pumped into the sea. These issues need a solution but that solution is not banning tourists or making it harder for them to visit the Canary Islands.

"We need more investment from the government in infrastructure and housing and perhaps setting a daily limit of visitors at our main tourist attractions and natural parks."

Fernando Clavijo, president of the Canary Islands, previously hit out at the protesters and said their argument 'smacks of tourist-phobia'. He asked people not to cancel their holidays.

There have also been discussions about introducing a €3-per-night charge for tourists, an idea which Mr Clavijo has not ruled out. The Canary Tourist Board has also asked holidaymakers to come to the islands.

It said: "In terms of tourists, the situation they see on the eight islands is absolutely normal. We are aware that there has been some isolated and specific events, but this has not altered at any time the enjoyment of the holidays of those who visit us."

Rosa Davila, the first female president of Tenerife, suggested imposing visitor limits, warning that 'there have to be limits to prevent tourism from overflowing'.

Ms Davila suggested a new tourism model which would require visitors to pay a fee to access natural spaces. Following the mass protests, she said: "We must analyse the exceptionalities that can be applied in a territory as fragile and limited as ours.

"What is clear is that Tenerife cannot be a theme park. Those who visit us have to value and respect our natural and cultural wealth, our resources, and they have to be clear about the rules for their preservation."