Demonstrations in support of a change in the mass tourism model that has shaped the socioeconomic landscape of the Canary Islands took place on Saturday. Thousands of people across the archipelago, including those in Santa Cruz of Tenerife and Las Palmas, marched to demand transformation in a scene reminiscent of historical mobilizations.
In The Gran Canarian palms, thousands of people marched along the Las Canteras promenade as others did on the rest of the islands. In Santa Cruz de Tenerife, a significant crowd gathered in a crowded Weyler square, with constant streams of travelers getting off packed trams and buses.
The origins of the marches stemmed from concerns about the exhaustion of the archipelago’s economic engine, which contributes 35% to GDP and nearly 40% to employment. Demands included a moratorium on development projects, an ecotax on foreign buyers, and regulation of housing purchases by foreigners. As weeks have passed, the discourse has expanded to encompass issues such as poverty, low wages, rising rental prices and strain on natural spaces and road infrastructure.