UK tourists warned Lanzarote and Tenerife are 'on verge of collapse'

Canary Island tourists have been warned the holiday destination is on the "verge of collapse" and people are "very tired". UK tourists in Lanzarote and Tenerife have been warned ahead of planned protests and demonstrations set to sweep the location on April 20.

Néstor Marrero Rodriguez, a member of the Tenerife ‘Friends of Nature’ Association (ATAN), said: "The islands are on the verge of collapse and people are very tired of the tourist model. The propaganda that the public administration does to clean up the face of the model no longer works and people hate the tourist model.

"Everywhere there is a proliferation of graffiti saying 'tourist go home', 'only local' or 'tourist not welcome'. A few years ago this was unthinkable, but now it is a reality." The Canary Islands need "quality tourists who respect the environment and the local culture", the activist added.

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The ATAN member said: "The current model leaves hardly any profit in the Canary Islands. If tourists stopped coming, the main people affected would be the privileged groups that control the tourism model. However, rental prices would be reduced, there would be no need to cut water supplies to the local population, and so on."

Mr Marrero Rodriguez added: "A series of actions such as hunger strikes, demonstrations, strikes, artistic actions, and so on will be initiated." He also hit out at the leaders of the holiday hotspot, saying Canary Island chiefs are "not listening".

But the president of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo, had called for "common sense", saying tourism is the "main source of employment and wealth" for the local economy. The seven main islands are (from largest to smallest in area) Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, and El Hierro.

The archipelago includes many smaller islands and islets, including La Graciosa, Alegranza, Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Oeste, and Roque del Este.