A British sustainable tourism expert has joined a campaign to save a protected area of Tenerife from hotel development, as thousands staged anti-tourism protests in holiday resorts across the Canary Islands.
As Britons headed out for the half-term holidays, demonstrators gathered in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, El Hierro, and La Palma.
On Playa de las Américas in Tenerife, they appeared on the beach, where tourists were sunbathing, and chanted: “This beach is ours.”
Under the slogan “Canary Islands has a limit,” activists blamed mass tourism for pricing locals out of the housing market, draining resources such as water, and causing environmental damage. Authorities reported that at least 8,000 people participated.
Sharon Backhouse, who owns GeoTenerife, a science, training, and research company, is fighting to save a protected area of Puertito de Adeje in Tenerife, which she says is threatened by the Cuna del Alma hotel development.
After local authorities granted permission to begin construction in September, the Spanish Geological Survey (IGME) declared the area a Site of Geological Interest, describing it as “high priority for protection” due to its volcanic deposits.
The Canary Islands government may now halt the hotel development.
“Puertito de Adeje is one of the few remaining fishing villages in the south of Tenerife. But the mayor gave permission for this luxury hotel to proceed,” Ms. Backhouse told i.
“We’ve been told over the years that there’s nothing of interest here in El Puertito—just rubbish and weeds. This is simply not true. We’ve been working for two years to highlight the many natural values of the area.”
She added: “The volcanic deposits alone are extraordinary—world-class, in fact. Not everything can be cemented over, and locals have a right to enjoy the last sliver of natural coastline that they’ve cherished for generations.”
GeoTenerife submitted a geological report to highlight the scientific importance of the area.
Ms Backhouse, who divides her time between the UK and Tenerife, said authorities in the Canary Islands should heed the calls from local people for sustainable tourism.
This year, 9.9 million tourists have visited the Canary Islands, according to the Spanish National Statistics Institute—a 10.3 per cent increase over the same period in 2023. The islands had a population of 2.2 million last year.
A spokesman for the Tenerife Friends of Nature Association told i: “We need limits on the number of tourists arriving each year to stop the ongoing destruction of our territory. We also need to limit housing prices so our people can afford a place to live and reduce the rubbish being dumped into the ocean.”
Cuna del Alma did not respond to a request for comment. However, the company stated on its website: “We believe in a tourism model in harmony with nature and the landscape, respectful of the environment, and sustainable for present and future generations.
“We are passionate about the landscape of Tenerife – its volcanic value and incredible contrasts. We will prioritise local products and people, creating 750 new jobs in the process.”
A draft law expected to pass this year in the Canary Islands will toughen rules on short-term lets, following complaints from locals who have been priced out of the housing market.
Newly built properties will be barred from the short-term rental market, and property owners with permits will have five years to comply with new requirements, which include giving neighbours the right to object.
The Canary Islands have decided to crack down on tourist rentals after the number of private rentals exploded in recent years.