This is the moment a British tourist was dragged away after jumping into a public fountain in Tenerife as part of a £20 bet with anti-tourism groups who branded it the latest example of problem tourists.
The images of the incident that occurred at the Fountain of the Americas, located in the Safari Center, south of Tenerife, were uploaded to TikTok by the young man’s friends after he dove headfirst into the water.
In the video, a shirtless man wearing red swimming trunks and white sandals can be seen preparing for the bizarre act while his friend waves a 20 euro note in front of his face.
He accepts the bill with a look of surprise on his face, before handing it back to his friend along with his sunglasses before running towards the fountain in front of bewildered onlookers.
The man runs across the tiled floor, past several strolling tourists, and reaches the sparkling fountain surrounded by golden lights.
A young British tourist was filmed diving headfirst into the Fountain of the Americas in southern Tenerife as payment for his share of a £20 bet.
He jumped into the fountain from the edge of the pond before being dragged away by a staff member and then a security guard.
When he reaches the edge of the water fountain, he jumps onto the ledge and dives headfirst into the fountain before hitting the water with his body and causing a huge splash.
An employee can be seen standing on the edge and turning his head as he is hit by the flying water, while the man’s friends laugh in the background.
The young man emerges from the fountain, raising his arms in brief victory before the staff member grabs him by the arm and drags him to the edge.
A security guard then approaches the couple and can be seen escorting the man away before the clip ends.
The images have angered local Canarians, who have criticised the tourist’s actions, calling him disrespectful and saying that “he gives an image of tourism that Tenerife does not want”, according to Canarian weekly.
This comes just two weeks after angry locals who orchestrated mass anti-tourism protests in the Canary Islands earlier this year issued a warning to British travellers by promising to target “main tourist areas” over the summer period.
Tens of thousands of people already took to the streets of Tenerife on April 20 and some 200,000 protesters are believed to have taken part in mass demonstrations across the island archipelago.
Prior to these demonstrations, six men and women began a hunger strike that lasted ten days until April 20.
Activists say the huge influx of tourists to the island is causing significant environmental damage, driving down wages and leaving locals without cheap, affordable housing, forcing dozens of them to live in tents and cars.
A demonstrator at the April march held up a sign that read: “Fourteen million tourists a year, but 36 percent of Canarians at risk of poverty.”
The female protesters previously revealed they had been harassed and threatened by tourists and no longer “felt safe” in their home country as the streets were flooded with foreigners enjoying a drunken binge.
“I wouldn’t go to the south of the island alone, it’s not safe for young women,” one protester told the Express.
An estimated 50,000 Tenerife residents took to the streets of the Atlantic archipelago in April to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand that their politicians take action.
Thousands of people demonstrate against tourism policies on the island of Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain, on April 20, 2024
Canarians protest to demand a rethinking of the island cluster’s tourism policies
Canarians complain that the growth of holiday rentals is driving locals away from the real estate market
The huge crowd gathered with signs, including one that read: “You enjoy, we suffer” in English.
Protesters filled Plaza Weyler in Tenerife’s capital, Santa Cruz, the starting point of a march on the tourist island popular with Britons, shortly before midday on April 20 with banners including one that read: “You enjoy, we suffer” in English.
But the massive campaign against tourism does not stop in Tenerife, as the unions have called for massive participation in the anti-tourism march planned for Sunday in Mallorca, according to Daily bulletin of Mallorca.
The Secretary for Social Policies and Equality of the General Union of Workers, Xisca Gari, has stated: ‘In the Balearic Islands everything is growing except the quality of life’, while criticising the increase in tourists, flights and unemployment.
He complained that “all rental properties are aimed at visitors” while residents of Mallorca have difficulty finding apartments to live in “due to the high prices caused by “touristification.”
Three unions have called on workers on the sunny islands to take part in a large demonstration planned for Sunday.
On July 17, it was also revealed that cruise ships could now decide to boycott popular destinations in Spain, such as Mallorca and Ibiza, if anti-tourism protests and “violent attitudes” towards tourists continue to escalate.
The warning was issued by leaders of the Cruise Lines International Association, which says there are many other ports around the world willing to welcome tourists without protest.
‘Tourismophobia is not only a problem in Spain, but also in France and other Mediterranean countries, but visitors are becoming more sensitive and the violent attitudes seen in places like Barcelona have an impact on the reputation of the destination,’ said Marie Caroline Laurent, European director of CLIA, during a visit to Madrid.
Alfredo Serrano, director of CLIA in Spain, said that there are countries such as Saudi Arabia and others in the region that are making “million-dollar investments” to boost their tourism sector and welcome tourists with open arms.
“Since dialogue with Barcelona City Council is complicated, for example, it will result in cancellations and discontent among tourists,” said the two representatives at a press conference.
They called on authorities to stop “demonizing” tourism and start managing cities more efficiently.
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