Tenerife reassures UK tourists with some 'pushed out of town' after protests

UK tourists in Tenerife have been told "you aren't the problem" as a bar boss pleads with them not to cancel their holidays amid rising tension. Brits have faced tension in recent weeks across Tenerife and Lanzarote as "overtourism" demonstrations sweep the Canary Islands.

But UK expats say "Brits are not the problem" as they blast greedy villa owners and bad bosses. Bar owner John Parkes, 43, is originally from Oldham but has lived in Tenerife ever since he was a seven-year-old and has spoken out over the protests.

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 43-year-old went on, saying: "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," in an interview with the MEN.

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Elsewhere, cafe owner Anthony Caitucoli said recently: "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."

Jaime Coello, president of the Telesforo Bravo Foundation, has also spoken out over the tension erupting on the holiday hotspot, with locals arguing they deserve better housing and a quality of life amid an influx of "budget" tourists.

Senor Coello said: "The quality of the tourist product is being destroyed by the investors and the regional government." But in response to the tension, UK holidaymakers have been flocking to ring hotels and ask whether the island's safe.

Jorge Marichal, a hotel chain boss in Tenerife, said: "One of the problems I am facing is that clients are beginning to call and ask what’s happening here and whether it’s safe."