A new scandal related to mass tourism has erupted on the popular tourist island of Tenerife. Graffiti with the inscription “Kill a tourist” (translated as “Kill a tourist”) appeared on one of the buildings on the island, which caused a wide resonance among local residents and tourists. A photo of this provocative inscription was published by the protest group “Islas de Resistencia”, which has about 15 thousand followers on Instagram. IZ writes about this with a reference to Swyrl.
Reasons for growing discontent
Tourism is one of the main economic sectors of the Canary Islands. In 2023, the industry brought the region around 16.9 billion euros, which is 36% of its GDP. However, the increase in the number of tourists is causing serious social problems.
Locals complain that the large number of tourists is causing housing prices to rise, as many properties are being converted into hotels or short-term rental apartments. As a result, housing prices are becoming unaffordable for many locals, forcing them to move to less popular areas of the island. In addition, the overall increase in the cost of living is creating additional hardship for residents.
Protests and Radical Actions
In recent years, the Canary Islands and other popular tourist destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca and Barcelona, have increasingly seen protests against mass tourism. For example, in Barcelona last July, protesters poured water from water pistols on tourists to express their dissatisfaction.
In the Canary Islands, demonstrators often go out with posters that read: “Your luxury is our death.” Among the activists’ main demands is a limit on the number of tourists visiting the islands.
Respondents' reaction
One of the residents of Tenerife, commenting on the situation for the British radio LBC, noted: “People want their problems to be heard, to be respected. But that does not justify radical actions that only aggravate the situation. It's really scary.”
The “Kill a tourist” graffiti has become a symbol of how acute the issue of mass tourism is in the Canary Islands. Despite this, local residents and activists recognize that tourism is the main source of income for the region, but they call for the introduction of regulations that would minimize its negative consequences.
Recall that we previously wrote that a hotel employee poisoned tourists with bleach in a Spanish resort.
