Plunder for profit

Canarians are taking to the streets on 20 April to protest against a model of tourism that impoverishes them and their islands. This is not a “War on Tourism” – the Canary Islands cannot survive without tourism and they have been warmly welcoming tourists for decades and will continue to do so. But with most of the multi-billion euro profits being drained right off the islands and a third of the local population in danger of poverty and social exclusion despite record-breaking visitor numbers, it’s time for a rethink. Being a “sustainable” tourist destination requires more than a shiny logo. We’ve been working on our Sustainable Tourism research project with local experts and institutions for the last two years to uncover how we got here and what needs to happen next.