Tenerife issues warning for British tourists over concerning threat ahead of winter season

Travel experts have warned that Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote in the Canary Islands are facing big problems due to growing tourism demands.

British tourists heading to Tenerife have been alerted to a new issue before the winter season.

There have been reports of worried travellers contacting hotels with safety concerns after anti-tourism protests. Local residents have even threatened to go on a hunger strike if the construction of new hotels isn’t stopped.

Experts believe the increasing number of tourists in Gran Canaria, Tenerife, and Lanzarote could cause economic problems for the islands.

According to BirminghamLive, a local described the situation as a “perfect storm” of poor planning and resistance from the community.

Nicola Quinn, an expert on moving to Spain’s Canary Islands, has lived in Tenerife for 20 years. She said that illegal Airbnbs are making life on the island difficult.

She explained, "Tourism has grown a lot across the Canary Islands over the past decade, and it's had a big impact. Large resorts owned by international companies are being built wherever there’s space."

"These hotels are good for the local economy because they create jobs and attract wealthy tourists. But they are just one result of the island’s tourism boom."

With so many tourists needing places to stay, and rental laws that favour squatters, property owners would rather rent their homes to tourists through Airbnb than rent to locals. It’s safer for them, and they make more money this way.

Discover more hidden gems with our interactive map!

Did you know we have a Hidden Gem Finder on our website? This handy little map shows over 12,000 hidden gems across the entire world with their exact co-ordinates available to view on Google Maps as well as an image/description for each one!

Click to view Hidden Gem Finder!