Ongoing protests in the Canaries are sending the wrong message to tourists, according to the owner of an Irish bar in Lanzarote.

Tens of thousands have been participating in protests across the Canary Islands this week calling for a halt to visitor numbers.

They say the government must rethink its tourism strategy as locals are being priced out of accommodation in their own areas, in favour of tourists.

On Lunchtime Live today, the owner of Decky Dillon’s bar in Lanzarote, Decky Dillon, said the protests are sending out the wrong message.

“Lanzarote is solely reliant on tourism,” he said.

“But the British press, mainly, have blown it up that tourists are not welcome anymore.”

Housing

Mr Dillon said the actual issue is housing.

“For an island of 145,000 people, there is nowhere for people to live long term.

“The problem is, the Government has issued all these licenses for holiday lets on privately owned apartments and a lot of people that live and work here can’t afford it.

“A one-bed apartment that would have been €500 or €600 a month as long-term rentals before COVID, has now gone up to about €1,000 or €1,200.”

The El Golfo coastine in the west of Lanzarote close to the Green Lagoon. Image: David Dunbar / Alamy Stock Photo

Amy O’Dowd from Finnegan’s Wake in Lanzarote doesn’t agree with how the protests have been framed.

“The message that’s been given out is that the Canary Islands don’t want tourism, but that’s not the message we want to give at all,” she said.

“It’s more we want the Government to look after the people living here and put a stop to people buying up holiday lets so people have places to live.”

Lanzarote accomodation

Amy, who has been living in Lanzarote for eight years and has children there, said she also feels threatened by the accommodation crisis.

“I wouldn’t message my landlord if I had a problem,” she said.

“I’d rather fix them myself in case they would say, ‘You can move out and we’ll find someone else’ – because there’s literally nowhere else for anyone to live at the moment.

“It’s a serious problem for bar owners and the costs they have for employees are through the roof.”

San Antonio on the island of Ibiza, Spain in July 2010. Picture by: guichaoua / Alamy Stock Photo

Travel journalist Eoghan Corry said the accommodation landscape for tourists in Lanzarote has changed over the last 20 years.

“Anyone who has an apartment can rent to tourists now due to the arrival of Airbnb,” he said.

“That’s led to problems like high rent prices and there have not been enough houses built to meet the growing population of these places or the travelling population coming there to work in tourism.

“All the local problems seem to be spilling over into anger which is a bit worrying that it’s going to be pushed into the face of tourism.”

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Main image: Tourists and locals at El Postiguet Beach in Alicante, Spain on July 9th, 2023 as temperatures reached as high as 45° Celsius in some areas. Picture by: Marcos del Mazo / Alamy Stock Photo