Almost surely, this is going to be my most controversial entry of 2024. You can read about it almost every week or month in newspapers. If it’s not the Canary Islands, it will be Barcelona, Mallorca, or another natural spot on Earth. Overtourism is a global issue and cannot be analyzed in isolation from other global matters. All of these issues are entangled, creating a complex social challenge with no obvious solution.
A Changing World
Overtourism is becoming a pressing global matter in many places. From small villages in Alaska to Antarctica, from Japan to the Canary Islands. More flying tickets, cruise ships, guided tours, nomads or individuals visiting the world before it ends as it. This phenomenon has intensified over the last decade, making tourism a fundamental gear of the global economy. The Canary Islands, in particular, serve as a striking local example. With their unique volcanic landscapes, mild climate, unique biodiversity, and cultural charm, the islands attract millions of tourists annually. By 2010, the total number of visitors to the islands was about 10 million. By 2023, it had peaked at 16 million, and it seems we’re breaking a new high in 2024.
These growing numbers have undoubtedly brought economic prosperity to the islands and provided monthly incomes for many local families. Over past years, the islands have experienced the highest economic growth in all of Spain. Yet, at the same time, they remain the poorest Spanish community. As in the Canaries as in other tourist hotspots, prosperity is apparent, since mainly benefits a few large entities. Unfortunately, this is not new. It’s simply how society has operated throughout history.
Inevitably, the large influx of visitors leads to overcrowded places like beaches or invades work sectors. It also contributes to environmental degradation due to the low level of circular economy practices in general worldwide. Specifically in the tourism industry and, especially, for the Canary Islands. However, the most prominent complaint globally is economic disparity, typically accompanied by social injustices. This isn’t just about overtourism. The issue is multipolar, coupled with gentrification, population dynamics, and geopolitical challenges affecting urban areas worldwide. As cities and regions adjust to these growing pressures, the Canary Islands exemplify a global problem.
The Global Context: Demography, Energy, Resources and Politics
Coupled with overtourism, gentrification is reshaping local communities, from cities to villages. In the Canary Islands, housing prices and the cost of living have skyrocketed since COVID. Similar trends are visible in cities like Lisbon, Amsterdam, or Reykjavik, where tourism-driven economies create economical barriers for locals. It’s not simply Airbnb playing a role in this game. Wealthy foreign individuals or mid-income families migrate from overcrowded cities to smaller and more affordable places. They can afford what locals cannot, contributing to widespread inflation. Additionally, these issues are deeply intertwined with:
- Population Peak: As the global population approaches its peak, urban centers and safe tourist destinations face increasing strain.
- Nomadic Lifestyle: The rise of digital nomads brings economic opportunities but also increases housing competition and strains local resources.
- Energy Crisis: Rising energy costs, the oil peak approach and resource scarcity, fuel geopolitical tensions and limits sustainable infrastructure management.
- Geopolitical Challenges: Conflicts and economic instability push populations to migrate or travel to safe places, further stressing already popular destinations.
Big problems, big solutions
To address such massive challenges, we need big solutions. But, there are no easy steps to reverse the system, neither I have a solution for it. In the Canary Islands, the present local lifestyle and economy are heavily dependent on tourism volume. If you kill the volume, unemployment rises and, with it, dissatisfaction, social stress and more migration. Sadly, we learned nothing from COVID, both politically and socially. Globally, society is unprepared to slow down the current way of life. Furthermore, climate change and the alarming increase in sea temperatures add yet another layer of complexity.
Ideas promoting sustainable tourism or balancing housing prices with local policies exist, although their real impact level can be criticized. And, no doubt, the most important strategies are cultural and educational. Travelers worldwide must be educated to raise awareness about the cultural and ecological impact of overtourism and traveling in general. Locals must also be encouraged to diversify their economy instead of relying on a single industry. In the Canaries, this has been the case for over five centuries, often leading to economic crises after the boom. I wonder if anybody planning the future of the islands can see the resemblance. Global cooperation is essential, but we must remember that global solutions are always implemented locally. Without local actions, there is no global change.
How You Can Help the Canary Islands and Its Locals
If you’re visiting the Canary Islands, there are ways to support the local community:
- Avoid all-inclusive hotels or limit your stay in such facilities.
- Choose rural houses, rural hotels, small hotels, apartments, or Airbnb/Booking rentals owned by locals.
- Avoid rentals owned by foreign investors or large-scale operators that fuel the housing bubble.
- Opt for local restaurants, licensed-local drivers, or hire licensed-local guides.
- Avoid tourist attractions owned by large corporations or attractions increasing environmental degradation. To name a few: cable cars, zoos, or water attraction parks.
- Rent cars from local businesses (there are plenty).
- Avoid tourist spots during midday. This is the best tip ever: go against the wave.
- Don’t contribute to traffic jams. Tenerife has a car density higher than London. Yes. Avoid highways early in the morning or between 4–6 PM when locals commute.
- Steer clear of unsustainable practices like quad or buggy excursions, which also add more stress to driving roads. Remember: you are visiting a place with a car density higher than London. Can you image a constant flow of quads on London roads?
- Stay in the path. Do not improvise your own trails when hiking.
- When hiking, bring your trash back.
- Do not burn your toilet paper when hiking, neither leave it behind. Once a tourist created a large fire in La Palma due to this dumb method. The same in Torres del Paine (Patagonia).
- Do not throw cigarettes out of the car window. Yes, it still happens. Even locals.
- Do not fly your drone in Natural Parks. It is strictly forbidden and, for sure, kills the purpose of being in Nature.
Even with record-breaking visitor numbers, you can still find secluded places on these islands. To reach the good spots, you’ll possible have to walk or being an early bird. By choosing a different path than the average traveler, you positively impact the local lifestyle. Without a doubt, the sum of many small changes will slowly minimize the footprint related to overtourism. And small, local efforts will contribute to a positive change in how society behaves when traveling.
Are you ready to change how you travel?
