The British press has responded to the news of anti-tourism demonstrations on five Canary Islands on April 20th by printing headlines “warning” tourists travelling to the Canaries. Warning headlines appeared in the Mirror, the Express, the Daily Star and several other media sources. However, no official warning has ever been issued, because tourists are not being threatened at all.
Until now, reports on “tourism-phobia” in the Canaries have been based on a few examples of “Tourist Go Home” graffiti on Tenerife, and some insults aimed at passing tourists during a couple of earlier protests on that island, there have been no reports of anti-tourist behaviour on Lanzarote at all.
The organizers of the 20A demonstrations that will take place on five islands on April 20th have made it clear that their protest is not aimed at tourists, nor tourism, but at over-development and unsustainable growth in the sector, which they claim has contributed to the housing crisis, ecological damage and other problems.
This hasn’t stopped politicians, including Canarian President Fernando Clavijo, warning of “attacks on tourism”, and using the British press’s sensational reporting to claim that the protests are damaging the image of the islands.
However, this is debatable. A similar media storm followed ex-Cabildo president Dolores Corujo’s statement that Lanzarote was “saturated” last year, after which the British press published false claims that the island “did not want British tourists”.
However, despite hundreds of keyboard warriors threatening to boycott Lanzarote on social media, the controversy appeared to have absolutely no negative effect on tourism whatsoever.
