Angry locals have made their feelings clear over the appearance of graffiti calling for tourists to “go home” scrawled across parts of Tenerife in recent days.
On the walls and benches of the city of Palm Mar and its surroundings have been written “Tourists go home”, “My misery is your paradise” and “The average salary in the Canary Islands is 1,200 euros”, which has caused an intense debate online.
The apparent reference to low wages comes as locals face rising rents driven by vacation rentals and an increase in the cost of living driven by inflation.
Tenerife, the largest of Spain’s Canary Islands off the coast of Africa, has an economy based largely around northern European tourism.
But the vandalism has proven divisive among residents, who have taken to community forums to express their views: some support the message while others question whether creating an “illegal pigsty” of graffiti helps.
‘We hate the 16 million visitors every year, the island has collapsed and we have nowhere to go, like you. Go home!’ one resident wrote on Facebook.
“It’s all for tourists… this is our paradise prison,” wrote another. ‘Just try to understand us local people. If you don’t(,) go home!’
Critics said it was “time to raise standards” and not accept disrespectful tourists.
One of them described a “prison paradise” as the economy has transformed around tourists.
“We hate 16 million visitors every year,” one user wrote, expressing his strong feelings.
‘MY MISERIA YOUR PARADISE’: Islanders apparently upset that holidays ruin their homes
‘TOURIST COMES HOME’: Graffiti has appeared in the Canary Islands telling tourists to ‘go home’ and accusing tourists of bringing ‘misery’ to locals
Critics of the vandalism against several community groups called for the graffiti to be removed and said they had contacted the relevant authorities.
In response to some of the support for the slogans, one user wrote: “Do you really think that living in a lawless pigsty will improve your children’s future?”
Another said: ‘It seems that with your actions you do not respect other people’s property.
—Don’t you think it’s a bit cowardly to walk around at night spreading messages instead of getting up and campaigning in defense of your beliefs?
Some expressed their support for tourism, the island’s largest industry, with comments such as “Without tourism there is no economy” and “The entire Canary Islands could not possibly continue without tourists.”
But others criticized the type of tourism that Tenerife attracts.
‘Nothing justifies vandalism, but people are fed up. We want sustainable and respectful tourism, that does not harm us and adapts to us, not us to them,’ wrote one.
‘If you receive my message, congratulations, you are welcome to MY land. If you don’t understand that there is a problem and you feel offended it is because you are part of the problem.’
Another agreed: ‘Where I live (the Balearic Islands) we don’t want the type of tourism that there is around Tenerife South. They contribute nothing and give our islands a bad name. What is needed is better tourism, not the one we have and which gets worse every year.’
Tourism in the Canary Islands has been increasing steadily in recent years. Last year, the region’s Minister of Tourism and Employment stated that the archipelago had received “an influx of tourists of more than 16 million and a tourist turnover of 20 billion euros.”
Presenting the figures as a benefit, he said: ‘Added to these good data is the positive evolution of tourism employment indicators, which grew by more than six percent and registered unemployment fell by more than nine percent compared to December 2022. ‘.
Tenerife itself, the largest of the islands, welcomed 5.6 million visitors last year, making it Spain’s most popular holiday destination, ahead of Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.
British tourists accounted for more than a third of the 14.1 million foreign travelers who traveled to the Canary Islands last year in total, according to The olive press.
Data shows that tourism to Tenerife rose steadily throughout the 2000s before falling after the global financial crisis of 2008. With the exception of the pandemic, tourism has generally increased since then, led overwhelmingly by tourists from Britain .
While this has benefits for the economy, residents face more competition for accommodation and inflated prices, and live in an economy designed around the needs of tourists.
“The problem is the price increases, since a house, an apartment and some restaurants are only for tourists,” one user wrote sympathetically. ‘The salary is low, poor. I have worked there. I understand the reaction.’
According to a local media Canarian WeeklyMany residents and environmental groups believe the government is taking reliance on tourism too far and ruining the island for those who call it home.
Due to the high level of tourism, rentals have increased as demand is so high to meet the number of holiday guests.
There is said to be a lot of traffic due to the large volume of cars.
On Friday there was even a water emergency due to lack of reserves, illustrating the pressure that tourism is putting on society.
It comes as politicians in Spain push to introduce new rules that would see bars and restaurants close earlier to protect workers in the tourism sector.
‘AVERAGE SALARY IN THE CANARY ISLANDS 1,200 EUROS’: The ‘average salary’ brand refers to the low salaries observed on the Island in comparison with the increase in rents, the increase in interest rates and the cost of living due to inflation rates.
‘TOURIST, RESPECT MY LAND’: Islanders are said to be angry at the build-up of tourist traffic
Yolanda Díaz, the country’s Minister of Employment and Social Economy, is facing a backlash over new proposals that would bring Spain closer to European closing times by imposing limits on when hotel companies can operate.
“A country that has its restaurants open at one in the morning is not reasonable,” he told the Spanish Congress on Monday. “It’s crazy to try to keep extending hours until I don’t know what time.”
The suggestion was rejected by representatives of the hotel and tourism industry, who said that Spain prospered thanks to its unique offering and that closing early would only benefit Spanish competitors in the tourism business.
Isabel Díaz Ayuso, president of the Community of Madrid, commented on a video of Díaz’s speech on X, formerly Twitter: ‘Spain has the best nightlife in the world, with streets full of life and freedom. And that also provides employment.
‘They want us to be puritans, materialists, socialists, without soul, without electricity and without restaurants because they feel like it. Bored and at home.’