UK tourists warned they'll be unwelcome in Majorca after Lanzarote and Tenerife tension

A Majorca hotel boss has spoken out over the tension between UK tourists and Canary Island locals. The Balearic Island hotel boss spoke out to Ultima Hora after demonstrations erupted across Lanzarote, Tenerife and beyond over what locals perceive to be "overtourism".

Joan Pla is the CEO of Blau Hotels, which has hotels in Cala Mandia and Colònia de Sant Jordi, in the Levante region of Majorca, but also in Asturias and Cuba. Asked how the pandemic had shaped Majorca, the hotelier said: "The model has evolved because people use even more digital platforms to book directly and the local population, who was distant from the industry, is now part of the clientele.

"The conflicts in many Mediterranean countries are also causing many tourists who previously went to Greece, Turkey or North Africa to discover Mallorca. All of this has allowed for a rapid recovery, but it also means overcrowding and residents having difficulty living due to the rising cost of living, which is something that worries us.

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"Everyone has the right to live in their own home." On the tourism protests in the Canary Islands, he went on: "IWe have to see what we mean by quality tourism. It is clear that the emergence of Airbnb had a huge downward impact, but we are already in another phase, in which the homes that are built for residents are bought by foreigners to spend a few months.

"All this makes us lose sight of where we are going. The number of people who come to the Islands and the high consumption of resources we have has nothing sustainable. It does not surprise me that there are demonstrations like those that have taken place in the Canary Islands, which could also occur here."

Brits in the Canaries have face rising tension for weeks - culminating in fiery protests across April 19 and April 20.