The protests against tourism in the Canary Islands resonate beyond the archipelago and worry the giants of the sector
Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2, has issued a warning: Spain is losing ground to its tourism competitors, and the main reason is none other than the rejection of tourism that has been seen on the streets in recent times. While countries such as Greece or Turkey are reinforcing their appeal with competitive prices and a clear commitment to attracting visitors, Heapy warns that the message coming from certain areas of Spain is not exactly welcoming.
The director of the largest tour operator in the United Kingdom points directly to the protests against mass tourism as one of the main factors affecting the Spanish destination. Statements that resonate especially in the Canary Islands, where in 2024 tens of thousands of people took to the streets under the slogan "The Canary Islands have a limit." That mobilization was the Canarian equivalent of open-air group therapy: banners, shouts and a lot of indignation against the tourism model that, paradoxically, keeps the local economy afloat due to the lack of industry on the islands and other sectors that pay at least half of what the tourism sector does.
Although the organizers insisted that it was not a rejection of tourists, but rather a rejection of the lack of regulation of the sector, the reality is that the image of the protests went around the world. An image that worsens after the graffiti of some enthusiasts calling for “kill a tourist” or Those who heckle tourists in groups on the beaches of the archipelago.
Now, according to Heapy, that message has resonated with British travellers, who may start looking for alternatives where they feel more welcome. "The British press never misses an opportunity to put any holiday-related and anti-tourism story on the front page, making the message resonate deeply, regardless of its veracity," said the Jet2 CEO.
The executive's warning is not minor. Jet2 is one of the main issuers of tourists to the Canary Islands, with an offer of flights and holiday packages that represent a crucial source of visitors for the sector. Heapy also points out Spain's "rivals" that have a better rate of reservations at the beginning of 2025; "Greece, Turkey, Italy, Croatia, Bulgaria or Portugal are recording better numbers for the summer" and points out as an advantage of these destinations another of the main claims of the protests and that the Canarian institutions have taken as their own; "in these destinations the tourist feels welcome, while in some Spanish destinations there is a certain fixation on the purchasing power of the one who arrives."
On the other hand, the archipelago's authorities have tried to maintain a balance between defending tourism as an economic driver and the need to address the problems of overcrowding and accessibility to housing that have generated discontent among residents.
A “no getting wet” stance that The graphic humorist Padylla reflected with his usual sarcasm a few days ago coinciding with the visit of the Canary Islands expedition to Fitur.
With the rise of other Mediterranean destinations, competition for British tourists is getting tougher; and in a sector where perception and image play a crucial role, Steve Heapy's words sound like a warning: the fight for sustainable tourism cannot be translated into hostility that puts a target on the tourist's back and ends up driving away those who support a large part of the Canarian economy.