Canary Islanders tell Brits to go home.

Allsorts

I think a lot of hotels are all inclusive on the Canary Islands meaning not much money going into local economy so I do see their point. Doubt many will agree with me but second homes in beautiful areas are means little chance for locals to buy, I think they should stop any more second homes and the ones they have already should be heavily taxed, I wish they could be taken off them and given what they originally paid , why should hard working locals have no chance of living by family These second homes are usually only used a few weeks a year. Have organised park homes or caravans to buy, renting the plot to be renewed every 10 years.
Sea dragon, I’m so sorry for the behaviour of the passengers of these cruise ships, can’t you refuse to have them descending on you. One ship at a time and they should pay for the privilege.

We have had a holiday on an all inclusive resort in Tenerife but we went shopping in the local town ate in a few local restaurants went hang gliding off resort visited a local wildlife sanctuary (where we spent money) and had coffees etc in lots of cafes, we mainly ate out to be honest! but it was nice knowing the meals were there if we wanted. We tipped the ladies who cleaned our rooms at the end of our stay too.

The Daily Mail strikes again!

Torricella4

The Daily Mail strikes again!

Have you read the report?

There is a balance to be struck between exploiters and exploitees.
The actual inhabitants of Wales, rural England, Canary Islanders (etc.) provide the bedrock that tourism rests on.
Some means of control has to be in place to preserve everyone's interests.

Grammaretto

It's not new either.
I can remember the 1970s when cottages in Wales owned by English people as 2nd homes were being burned down.
We were holidaying there, staying in a B&B (not an airbnb) when a cottage nearby was set alight.

I have never wanted a second home even if it was affordable .

We used to visit Wales regularly in the late 60s and early 70s. specifically Pembrokeshire and Cardigan. The English were buying up what I called do-uppables whilst the Welsh were leaving their old homes for something new. Furthermore it was Welsh people themselves who were selling their wrecks.

biglouis

*Years ago I went to Venice in June when it was hot, it was hell, there was literally nowhere to sit and take the weight off you feet*

Venice is my favorite city in Europe but I have never visited in summer for that very reason. I have only visited in late spring or winter. Italy is not cold by UK standards in winter and the place is very different. You can walk around those narrow twisty streets without bumping into people, eat in the restaurants without waiting an age and the locals are much more friendly. You just have to take a warm sweater and a wooly hat.

Venice now charges a tourist tax which I gladly paid on my last visit. The charge is "per person" so as a single I am not getting ripped off to subsidies families and couples for once. I also spent a lot of money in the local economy on food and gifts and getting about.

My greatest regret is that Venice is not a city for the mobility impaired with all those steps and bridges so I will never ba able to go there again.

The first time we went to Venice was nearly 50 ago. It was November, the duck boards were out in St Mark,s Square and it was very damp,getting into our bones. We had planned to have stand up coffees rather than pay the extra to sit at tables and also to have snacks rather than proper meals. As it was, we ate lunch and dinner in restaurants and sat in many cafes, including the two in St Mark's Square. This enhanced our holiday so we were just a bit poorer when we returned to England.

More recently, on our last visit, my DH took a photo of one of the cruise ships which dwarfed San Marco. Venice has started to ban some cruise ships since 2021.

There is mass tourism everywhere, exacerbated by the numbers coming from China and other far eastern countries. Large cities like Rome, Florence, Paris and London are inundated.

Pre covid we visited Florence in October. It was packed with tourists. It was necessary to pre-book visits to most of the churches and galleries. The entrance prices in the summer were high, gradually reducing to lower prices as the seasons changed. The authorities were trying to tempt people to go in December or January with lower prices.

The Amalfi coast has been popular for many years but, following the release of Ripley the Italians are expecting many more visitors. Apparently AirBNB is reporting a 93% increase in bookings to Atrani and Ravello since Ripley was released.

In France they are trying to persuade holiday makers to go to the lesser known towns and villages because of the numbers in the well known tourist areas.

I am grateful that we managed to visit many of what are now "hot spots" before they became overrun.

A French friend has an apartment at Lagos, in Portugal. He was amazed when my DH showed him some photos taken in 1969/70 of old people wearing black and riding on donkeys.
At that time it was relatively undiscovered but he and another photographer were there working for Clarksons who were producing a brochure of a holiday location that had just been built.

I totally agree. We visit Robin Hood's Bay and Whitby in North Yorkshire and the pubs and shops have difficulty getting staff. Young people are moving out of the area because they can't afford housing locally. The local authority needs to address the issue.

Dinahmo

Grammaretto

It's not new either.
I can remember the 1970s when cottages in Wales owned by English people as 2nd homes were being burned down.
We were holidaying there, staying in a B&B (not an airbnb) when a cottage nearby was set alight.

I have never wanted a second home even if it was affordable .

We used to visit Wales regularly in the late 60s and early 70s. specifically Pembrokeshire and Cardigan. The English were buying up what I called do-uppables whilst the Welsh were leaving their old homes for something new. Furthermore it was Welsh people themselves who were selling their wrecks.

What goes around comes around though. Many second home owners are now selling up their Welsh second homes because of the change in the law around council tax for them. The timing is good because more people want to settle in rural areas since the advent of remote working, and they bring money to local economies year round.

I don't read the Daily Mail EVER! It is full of articles like that. Sheer unadulterated sensationalist rubbish.

Apparently, there is a lack of water on the islands.

Overcrowding maybe due to tourism and the strain of hot weather has comprised a lack of fresh water.

There were demonstrations and marches by the natives at the weekend demanding tourists pay a fee for staying there, i think

"I wish they could be taken off them and given what they originally paid , why should hard working locals have no chance of living by family These second homes are usually only used a few weeks a year. Have organised park homes or caravans to buy, renting the plot to be renewed every 10 years."

A bit harsh! There is no entitlement - here or abroad - to be able to buy a home in the place you grew up or where your family live. I hear this all the time, having a place in Cornwall. You can still buy a little house here for under £200,000. In SW London (and many other places) that would set you back about £800,000. It's just the way it is. Those who live in pretty places are damn lucky and should expect to share the area with those who visit.

I’ve just seen on Sky news that Thanet District Council are considering a modest tourist tax and an extra council tax on second homes. I’ve often considered second homes a luxury, often unused for many weeks of the year and often to the detriment of local residents, particularly those seeking to buy in their locale.
Maybe this will become the norm in the UK at least.

Etoile2701

I don't read the Daily Mail EVER! It is full of articles like that. Sheer unadulterated sensationalist rubbish.

I should watch some news other than the usual msm. On y tube showing huge marches demanding tourists out. So the mail, wether you like it or not, got it right,perhaps only concentrating on British tourists, because yes we are,and because it was many of these British tourists that helped cause the problems in the first place, think drunken hen and stag parties for starters.

Paperbackwriter

"I wish they could be taken off them and given what they originally paid , why should hard working locals have no chance of living by family These second homes are usually only used a few weeks a year. Have organised park homes or caravans to buy, renting the plot to be renewed every 10 years."

A bit harsh! There is no entitlement - here or abroad - to be able to buy a home in the place you grew up or where your family live. I hear this all the time, having a place in Cornwall. You can still buy a little house here for under £200,000. In SW London (and many other places) that would set you back about £800,000. It's just the way it is. Those who live in pretty places are damn lucky and should expect to share the area with those who visit.

Sharing the area you live with others is fine, so long as they don’t take over, killing villages because they are only there for a few weeks every year. Also if visiting for a holiday that they use their brains and respect the countryside and other people - some of the idiotic behaviour you see if you live in a tourist area has to be seen to be believed. Climbing a mountain in heels - really.

Greciangirl

Apparently, there is a lack of water on the islands.

Overcrowding maybe due to tourism and the strain of hot weather has comprised a lack of fresh water.

There were demonstrations and marches by the natives at the weekend demanding tourists pay a fee for staying there, i think

Much of the water comes from sesalination plants so plenty water in the sea.
When we go to Lake Garda in Italy for some years now we have paid an daily fee for staying there.
You cannot blame the Daily Mail for thousands of people protesting in the Canaries.
We went to Lanzarote twice a year for years and I was so ashamed by the loud drunken Brits in their flip flops we saw frequenting the pubs.

As others have said, it was the same in Wales years ago. Approx 1976-79 we camped at St David’s in Pembrokeshire. As soon as we crossed the border into Wales there were signs everywhere, on houses, bridges, fences etc. We didn’t feel very welcome but we spent a lot of money on site fees, food, drink, fuel, meals out etc.

I meant to say I just read that Mallorca is now protesting.

Dinahmo

Grammaretto

It's not new either.
I can remember the 1970s when cottages in Wales owned by English people as 2nd homes were being burned down.
We were holidaying there, staying in a B&B (not an airbnb) when a cottage nearby was set alight.

I have never wanted a second home even if it was affordable .

We used to visit Wales regularly in the late 60s and early 70s. specifically Pembrokeshire and Cardigan. The English were buying up what I called do-uppables whilst the Welsh were leaving their old homes for something new. Furthermore it was Welsh people themselves who were selling their wrecks.

Yes, I posted above about friends who bought a dilapidated old forestry cottage in Wales - no locals would have bought it as a home but they restored it, using local labour, buying their food locally, supporting local businesses whenever they went there.

They weren't flying off on foreign holidays to Spain or the Canaries, either!

We holidayed in Tenerife last October and witnessed at first hand just what the local people are having to deal with. Our hotel was B&B with all rooms having basic cooking facilities - not that we cook at all. Just brew up coffee and tea and a few cocktails in our room. We prefer to spend our money to benefit the local businesses and try local restaurants and local foods.
But I digress - our hotel had around 40% of its rooms rented out to locals who paid rent as tenants. Now I don't have a problem with that in general but in our case it meant that as a 'holiday' hotel it was distinctly lacking a holiday vibe. There was a bar open during the day but once it hit 5 o'clock there was no evening bar, entertainment or anything which then forced us to seek these things outside the hotel and because of the 'residents' - it was extremely quiet in the evenings.
Perhaps some of these developers need to rethink their strategy and provide accommodation for the locals. If local residents are turning their properties over to airbnb then their local governments need to clamp down on this rather than price their countrymen out of their jobs and homes.

I came back from Gran Canaria today although I knew of the demos in Tenerife and other Canary Islands I didn’t see any “Go Home Tourist” signs or any animosity., in fact the Canarians were most hospitable and helpful. We were of course adding to their coffers. We use a Spanish hotel chain. A young friend lives over there now and she is saving for a house but is not allowed to buy and live in the cheaper apartments but can buy and let it. Sounds ridiculous. I think there must be a great strain on their medical services as any UK resident can still walk in to a local clinic and be treated free of charge provided you have a EHIC or the new equivalent. I was surprised that continued post Brexit.
I live in a well known Devon seaside town and prices are very high here. People complain about the amount of 2nd home and holiday homes in the town but the two very good holiday let houses opposite my home have been up for sale for over a year and are just not selling therefore they are vacant so no one is contributing to the local economy they just lay empty. I really don’t know what the answer is.

Happening here in our little town on East Coast Australia
So many holiday homes & Air BNB Locals can’t find housing
It’s very sad as lots of the properties sit empty thro the non tourist months.

It comes as a shock when we discover that we aren't appreciated .

I experienced this in Portugal about 30 years ago .
The locals regarded the local Brits with disdain .
One British couple were accepted by them and very popular as they made an effort to socialise with the locals inviting them round for lunch and dinner - even if they struggled with the language .
The locals also saw that they weren't that well off and had to live in a caravan for over two years whilst their villa was being built - the husband doing as much of the work as he could and his wife cleaning to make ends meet .
Their way of life contrasted with the unfriendly , comparatively wealthy , highly critical of the locals other Brits !

I had thought of buying and restoring an old farmhouse and keeping the original orchards , but unable to live there for most of the year - I changed my mind .

BlueBelle

There were lots of anti tourist placards and posters in Barcelona when I was there last year Lots of complaining that the houses are all being bought to turn into AB&B s and rendering the locals unable to buy any
They have a point

Agree, the government there should impose a limit on the number of rentals, and limit the amount that can be charged. That way the locals would have a chance to own a home. It happens in the uk when "rich" folk buy up properties to turn them to airb&b and then ordinary locals cannot afford a home. Areas should have a quota of rentals, give the locals a chance.

What I think should be done is to put a limit on the number of houses anyone can own( with the exception of owners of flats etc in multi storey buildings). Either that or make multiple houseowners pay double the normal costs. That’d fix the royals for a start !