Ben Magek - Environmentalists in Action, an environmental expert group, has issued a warning about overtourism in the Canary Islands after more than 48 million tourists visited the destination in 2023.

According to the environmental group, the infrastructure is not able to cope with the influx of tourists.

“The territory of the Canary Islands has been more than overexploited. We have exceeded the territory's carrying capacity by seven times, leading to a scenario of systemic collapse due to the structure of urban development,” the group wrote.

The report highlights how resources are exploited on islands such as Lanzarote and Tenerife, and the massive generation of waste is causing irreversible damage to the environment.

Last month, protesters on the islands warned that the construction of new hotel complexes in mass tourism centers such as Santa Cruz de Tenerife and San Cristobal de la Laguna, leading to sewage spills, traffic jams and environmental damage, reports birminghammail.co.uk.

According to Mirror.co.uk , mass tourism in the Canary Islands has also led to an increase in the cost of accommodation for tourists by more than 10%.

TUI, Jet2 and Ryanair, airlines serving the UK and German markets, have sent a joint letter to the Canary Islands, which states that skyrocketing accommodation costs will negatively impact travel and that home markets will not be able to afford such prices due to the recent recession.

Source: travelnews.co.za

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