The fightback begins

On 3rd February, in my piece Too darned hot, I warned of the rapidly deteriorating situation in the Spanish Canary Islands created by the double-whammy of overtourism and climate change, concluding: "it will probably take complete and catastrophic environmental collapse to force any action at all".

Well, it seems, in the face of official inaction, that Canarians have taken matters into their own hands and forced the issue to the top of the political agenda. They have done so by confronting government propaganda with an archipelago-wide protest set to take place on Saturday 20th April. 

Not that there hasn't been protest in the islands hitherto but it has been somewhat fragmented, largely due to geography. Now, protest has been galvanised pan-archipelago and the fact that four of the main islands are about to protest simultaneously is a game-changer which is alarming the political class.

The manifestación (demonstration) has been denounced by nervous politicians, now finding themselves called out for complacency and complicity, as 'tourismophobia'. Their counter-argument, effectively, is that protesters risk killing the goose that lays the golden egg. In other words, destroying the economy, which is hugely reliant on mass tourism, by an overt display of hostility directed at foreign and domestic tourists.

Their point is both inaccurate and disingenuous. For starters, who promoted the alleged 'tourismophobia'? Not the protesters, that's for sure. Despite protesters' graffiti and placards reading 'tourists go home' (or something even more graphic), it's not the tourists themselves who are under fire but the politicians and tour companies whose unholy alliance has allowed rampant tourism, particularly of the budget variety, to take hold, destabilising the economy and compromising the environment.

However, as I discovered for myself when participating in a march for cleaners' rights in Las Américas, Tenerife, in January, it is equally important that the message be promoted in the main tourist languages such as English, German and Italian and not restricted simply to Spanish for local consumption. While the majority of tourists probably won't care, they should at least be given the opportunity to understand the issues in order to lobby their airlines, hotels and tour operators properly if their consciences are pricked by such exploitative employment practices.

Furthermore, the importance of tourism to the islands' economy and employment has been vastly overstated by those with a vested interest in protecting the status quo of the existing model. The reality is that 80% of the wealth generated by the tourist industry goes abroad, siphoned off by foreign-owned companies, while jobs available to locals are predominantly menial, low-status, minimum-wage roles in the hotel and catering sectors.

Meanwhile, a dramatic rise in the cost of living and the shortage of housing stock available to locals, plus steep rent rises caused by foreigners snapping up old houses and new-build apartments, is forcing a growing number of Canarians into poverty and homelessness. 

There is also a growing awareness of the environmental damage, pollution and water shortage caused by millions of tourists annually. And there is no respite from it. Unlike other destinations, which are essentially seasonal, the benign Canarian climate makes tourism a year-round phenomenon. These factors combine to make politicians' airy talk of the prosperity created by tourism ring increasingly hollow to a growing number of Canarians.

Faced with the mounting disenchantment, even anger, of their electorate, Canarian politicians are now eager to deflect criticism away from their own shortcomings by using the concept of 'tourismophobia' as a smokescreen - in effect blaming their own people for intolerance of foreigners, especially the British, which they themselves have promoted. 

This is hypocritical in the extreme as that particular narrative was cynically and opportunistically exploited by various local mayors and then blown up out of all proportion by the rightwing British press and media who picked up on it. Only too eager to jump on the bandwagon and promote a false narrative of rampant xenophobia directed at plucky Brits in spiteful revenge for Brexit, rightwing commentators had a field day with it. 

This risks unleashing a Frankenstein's monster of Canarian politicians' own making but, from my own experience of the Canaries and Canarians, I very much doubt they will run amok with it. Canarians are a hospitable, pragmatic people, not quick to challenge authority. But when roused to react, as now, they are far more likely to direct their ire at those who are really responsible for the mess (i.e. politicians) than those finding themselves caught up in it (i.e. tourists).

Admittedly, British tourists are a pretty unappealing bunch en masse, but they tend to corral themselves (or are corralled by their package tour companies) into ghetto seaside resorts, where they are generally content to remain within easy reach of beach, pool and bar. Much more likely to face righteous Canarian resentment are those EU expats who have residency rights and can come-snd-go as they please, without restrictions.

Germans and Italians, for example, who have bought Canarian properties, set up their own businesses and used their money and political influence to secure a privileged life for themselves, project a sense of entitlement which must be galling to many native Canarians. These are far more likely to face popular resentment than the Brits who, let's face it, post-Brexit are fairly irrelevant, except in terms of their numbers. That issue could easily be addressed through raising prices, moving to a 'high-end' tourism model and imposing a tourist tax. 

If local, Peninsular Spanish and EU politicians fail to grasp the nettle of overtourism in their regions, and fast, it is hard to predict where it will all end, although fairly safe to say not in a good place. Popular protest is certain to grow (and perhaps grow ugly) and spread unless meaningful action is taken immediately to resolve the very real issues sparking it. 

Already, Ibiza, in the Spanish Balearic Islands, itself facing similar pressures, has made common cause with the Canarian protesters. At this rate it's not just the tourism model that will be the bone of contention. Soon, remaining part of Spain and the EU will become a matter of hot debate.

Where that may lead is anyone's guess.

Update 09/04/24: La Palma has now joined the protest, making it all five of the larger islands in the archipelago. Also, Canarian protesters today demonstrated in Madrid. Next step Brussels?
Update 10/04/24: And now El Hierro is joining in
Update 11/04/24: And La Gomera too so that just leaves La Graciosa (population 700) - so maybe not
Update 14/04/24: Málaga in Southern Spain is now participating 


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