UK tourists in Spain told 'go home' as government threatens crackdown on holiday hotspots

Protests and demonstrations are planned on the Canary Islands as Tenerife and Lanzarote locals grow tired of overtourism in the holiday hotspots.
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British holidaymakers in Spain have been met with a stark message to "go home" as tensions rise over tourism levels. Spanish residents, particularly on the Canary Islands of Tenerife and Lanzarote, are expressing their frustration over what they describe as "overtourism", leading to planned protests and demonstrations.

The Spanish government is stepping up its response, with Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez announcing potential measures to curb the number of holiday lets. Speaking to Cadena Ser Radio, Ms Rodriguez highlighted that only 2.4 per cent of housing in Spain is publica figure significantly lower than the European average of 9 percentand acknowledged a deficit of 1.5 million homes in public housing.

Despite the shortfall, Ms Rodriguez remains optimistic that addressing the issue could lead to more reasonable rental and sales prices. Meanwhile, Jorge Marichal, president of the regional hotel association ASHOTEL, expressed his understanding of local grievances during an interview with COPE, a Spanish radio station.

The situation unfolds as millions of Britons continue to flock annually to Spanish destinations such as Lanzarote, Tenerife, Ibiza, Menorca, Majorca, and mainland cities including Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Malaga, and Seville.

Marichal voiced his concern, saying: "It pains me because people confuse the message. We don't have to be anti-tourist. What we have to do is demand infrastructures in accordance with the tourist model that's been chosen.", reports Birmingham Live.

This comes before planned protests set for April 20.

In further conversation with the radio, he expressed: "And we have to understand that the tourist model has changed because of technology and Airbnb and the fact property owners have converted those properties into businesses with very lax regulation and that the growth in the amount of tourist accommodation has not been matched by the investment in infrastructure."