Lanzarote and Tenerife send plea to UK holidaymakers ahead of anti-tourist protests

Lanzarote and Tenerife have issued a plea to UK holidaymakers amidst fears of widespread cancellations following anti-tourist protests. The Canary Islands' tourism chief, Jessica de Leon, has reassured Brits that they are still welcome on the islands, despite planned demonstrations.

Today will see thousands join protests across the Canary Islands, demanding a re-evaluation of the Spanish archipelago's tourism industry. "It is still safe to visit the Canary Islands, and we are delighted to welcome you," de Leon assured in an interview with The Telegraph.

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She acknowledged the frustrations but argued it was "unfair to blame tourism". Fernando Clavijo, the president of the Canary Islands, agreed with de Leon, suggesting some activists were displaying "smack 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 warned. However, Gabriel Gonzalez, a councillor for the hard-Left Podemos party in Tenerife's resort town of Adeje, countered: "We have the feeling that we are not living off tourism; it is tourism that is living off us."

Nestor Marrero, secretary of a Tenerife ecology group called ATAN, suggested a different approach: "The number of tourists should be reduced. 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.", reports Birmingham Live.

In the prior year, the Canary Islands welcomed a whopping 13.9 million visitors, with the islands themselves housing a population of just 2.2 million. Data from Spain's National Statistics Institute reveals a staggering 33.8 per cent of locals risk poverty or social exclusion - the highest in any area besides Andalucia.

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