Lanzarote says it is fed up with having so many British tourists visiting the island - and wants FEWER UK holidaymakers!

Going inland can help avoid many tourists, because a large percentage of them flock to the coasts. Or avoiding peak season. I've had lovely beach holidays with empty beaches by travelling in term time, later in the year.

Renting a car also helps avoid the crush. As a teacher I was limited to school hol travel but managed to escape the hordes by driving to remote areas, even when our accommodation has been in a busier area.

We always try to choose a holiday destination that has a mix of nationalities on holiday and definitely avoid areas known to be a popular British destination.

If possible we would like to choose somewhere that has very little tourism, but that is becoming more and more difficult.

nanna8

I’d never heard of Lanzarote so I looked it up. It looks very interesting and not that far,either. It takes us about the same length of time to fly to Perth from Melbourne. You are so lucky living in Europe, such a lot of close places. If they don’t want British tourists,what sort do they want ? Do the Brits have a reputation for rowdiness or something ( like the Australians who go to Kuta)?

Yes, they do, a certain section of them if we all admit it. My DD went 15 years ago to a friend's timeshare and they were calling it Lanzagrotte when they came back.
The Island has had lots of time to up its game and standard of accommodation to attract those they want to visit.
Obviously, a lot of grans netters know the places to stay and places to visit, far from the Madding crowd of drunken loutish British, Stag and Hen parties. If I were them I would keep them to myself, and hope that Robinson Green does not visit for his favourite spots abroad.

Redhead 56 'Since Covid a lot of people of all ages are giving up going abroad and staying put because of costs. '

and yes, this is definitely a factor. Travel agents in the UK cannot raise prices much, due to so many feeling the pinch and a lot more, and yet the Pound currently does not go very far at all. Holiday resorts can sell the same holiday at the same price in Euros, or even better, currencies which are doing very well. Selling a holiday to people who will pay in Sterling, without massively raising prices, is just not good business for them.

I agree Casdon. Living on Mallorca off season was so much nicer than on season. British, and to a slightly lesser degree German, tourists were the worst by far. Loud, demanding and disruptive. Little respect for the locals. Germans similar, although their main factor was taking the roads over in huge swarms of cyclists preventing vehicles from moving safely.

It's a delicate balance. Tourist money is needed but tourist bad behaviour is unwelcome. British arrogance is what makes us unwelcome unfortunately.

I don’t agree with that assessment that they should be careful what they wish for Maudi, because they will always do well, the weather will always draw Europeans to the Canaries in the winter, as the weather is warmer than mainland Spain. I’d imagine Santander must have quite iffy weather apart from in the summer so it’s not the same scenario.
I live in a tourist area myself, and I am sympathetic to what the locals must feel. Yes, tourism brings money, but the only way of filtering (most of) the badly behaved tourists out is to go upmarket.
It feels to me that there’s a bit of the ‘How dare they do this to us wonderful Brits’ about this thread, when what we should be doing is putting ourselves in their shoes.

They should be careful what they wish for, I believe mainland Spain wants more British tourists when we were waiting to board the ferry at Santander last year we were asked to do a tourism survey and the lovely Spanish lady said they want the EU to stop the 3 month rule for Brits because the restaurants and shops were losing money they want more Brits visiting. We stayed at an all inclusive hotel in Lanzarote about 15 years ago wasn't keen on the area where we stayed, we went to Playa Blanca and had a trip to Fuerteventura but have never wanted to go back. I prefer mainland Spain and Turkey.

Holiday destinations abroad rely on exporting goods and tourism as their main source of income. I am sure the beer drinking Brits irritate the locals and have done for years. I know they did years ago in and around the Greek Islands. It’s unfortunate that all tourists are classed as the same.

Since Covid a lot of people of all ages are giving up going abroad and staying put because of costs. Even though holiday spots here are rather expensive. A family day out or weekend here at a theme park costs an arm and a leg.

I went to Lanzarote over thirty years ago it struck me as a lovely clean place to go with some breathtaking scenery. But I thought the place lacked history and culture and decided it wasn’t for me.

Urmstongran

Oh dear.
I think they may regret this statement. Brits abroad spend a lot of money.
What are your thoughts on this?

I really doubt they asked everyone. You’d probably get Blackpool residents saying the same thing if you tried.

I’d never heard of Lanzarote so I looked it up. It looks very interesting and not that far,either. It takes us about the same length of time to fly to Perth from Melbourne. You are so lucky living in Europe, such a lot of close places. If they don’t want British tourists,what sort do they want ? Do the Brits have a reputation for rowdiness or something ( like the Australians who go to Kuta)?

Ooh yes, Blackpool and Rhyl.
You can keep Lanzarote, Blackpool has better beaches.

Same everywhere ‘touristy’ I suppose. My mum was born in Blackpool and I remember her saying ‘you couldn’t get into the Tower Ballroom in the early 50’s for all the visitors queuing in the summer months’!
🤣

I guess they want to feel that the island is still their home, which when you’re outnumbered 17 to 1 by tourists must be quite difficult to do. If I were their government, I think I’d feel the same, in an ideal world less people who spend more money, and who may be more respectful of their culture would be the goal. Some British tourists abroad let the rest of us down pretty badly by their behaviour, I don’t blame them if they no longer want to attract the stag parties etc.

Generally, the British are problematic - as tourists and/or football supporters - so not exactly welcomed anywhere (though perhaps tolerated for income reasons). Why assume they are happy to see us?

We've been many times. Papagayo Beach is one of the best beaches I've been on. Rather hidden gem.

An awful lot of bars and restaurants in the popular resorts are owned by Brits so unsure if they'll be unwelcome

So going by that Casdon, Lanzarote want less tourists but of a ‘certain type’. They’re going to have to change their business model to attract a wealthier clientele. I wish them all the best.

Casdon

I can understand their reasons. I looked the story up.

‘ A recent census revealed that up until November 2022, around 2.5 million people visited the Spanish island. With a population of 151,000, this figure is boosted 17 times by the arrival of travellers. Approximately half of this total is British apparently.’

Their native population is tiny, and must be completely overwhelmed by the number of tourists.

They must have built that much accommodation for all those visitors; they all book before they go there.

I was curious.
This, from Wikipedia:

“What did Gerald Ratner say?

“People say, "How can you sell this for such a low price?", I say, "because it's total crap." He compounded this by going on to remark that one of the sets of earrings was "cheaper than a prawn sandwich from Marks and Spencer's, but I have to say the sandwich will probably last longer.”

GagaJo

I lived worked on Mallorca for a year. The native Mallorquins really dislike the Brits for what they see as ruining their lovely island. They may smile in the face of the paying holiday maker, but many of them despise us.

Unfortunately, many places around the world see us as interlopers and have an attitude similar to that of some Brits towards immigrants.

Wales is lovely at this time of year 😀

Croeso i Gymru

I can understand their reasons. I looked the story up.

‘ A recent census revealed that up until November 2022, around 2.5 million people visited the Spanish island. With a population of 151,000, this figure is boosted 17 times by the arrival of travellers. Approximately half of this total is British apparently.’

Their native population is tiny, and must be completely overwhelmed by the number of tourists.

Puts me in mind of this man.
Remember him? He was formerly chief executive officer of the major British jewellery company Ratners Group. He achieved notoriety after making a speech in which he jokingly denigrated two of the company's products.

The company tanked.

I love Playa Blanca. And the pretty village of Yaiza. The Timanfaya National Park. My late mum loved Puerta del Carmen where her friend and her husband bought a villa years ago. Happy memories.

Maybe we’re not the ‘right types’. Not wealthy enough perhaps. We used to eat out in the local bars and restaurants though so we must have brought something to their economy.

I heard it said once that the working classes got their winter sunshine in the Canaries and the better off went to the Caribbean.

Fair play. It’s horses for courses.
I’m not sure though that Lanzarote might just have shot themselves in the foot with this. People won’t forget they aren’t welcome. They’ll take their holiday spends elsewhere. Turkey maybe.

I lived worked on Mallorca for a year. The native Mallorquins really dislike the Brits for what they see as ruining their lovely island. They may smile in the face of the paying holiday maker, but many of them despise us.

Unfortunately, many places around the world see us as interlopers and have an attitude similar to that of some Brits towards immigrants.

But we're not wanted any more.

I just love Lanzarote there are no high rise hotel , they are banned . The airport does not feel hugh and we have never ever felt unsafe going out at any time of the day The hotels we go to are all good quality. We first went in the 1990 and used to get two weeks for two for a grand . Now one week is almost a grand each. You do not get the really good food you get in Austria or Italy but for some winter sun it is great.