Some 230 sunbeds have been vandalized at some of Tenerife‘s beaches, the latest protest in an increasing series over overtourism on the Canary Islands.
Vandals have targeted beaches in Arona, damaging over €5,000 worth (£4,139) of sunbeds on Las Vistas and El Camisón. One hundred sunbeds were slashed or spray-painted at Las Vistas, while 136 were destroyed at El Camisón. Graffiti on nearby walls included slogans like “Canarias se defiende” (The Canary Islands defend themselves) and “Canarias no se vende” (The Canary Islands are not for sale).
Arona Mayor Fátima Lemes denounced the actions, saying “That’s an attack on the heritage of Arona” and hit the population and visitors. She appealed to the local people to help identify the perpetrators and reiterated that vandalism is a crime.
According to Braulio Melián Pérez, the company responsible for beach services’ manager, 10% of loungers had been destroyed. This was the largest damage ever suffered by the company in eight years. According to Pérez, repairs could take a month. He stated that beach police should be returned to ensure patrolling is enhanced, particularly during the night hours to prevent such mishaps.
This is vandalism after several months of protests in the Canary Islands, where locals complain that mass tourism puts too much pressure on the environment and economy. Thousands of residents protested earlier in April and October, asking for limits on tourist arrivals and a change in the model for tourism in the region.
The authorities are working to restore the damage and beach facilities to open to public use. The incident indicates growing tensions between local communities and the tourism industry, an important sector of the economy of the Canary Islands.
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