Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic
\n Locals in the Canary Islands aren\u2019t \u2018anti-visitor\u2019, but say they are only suffering from tourists\u2019 bad behaviour rather than reaping the benefits.
\n ADVERTISEMENTAlmost 100 million foreign tourists visited Spain in 2024 – and 30.5 million of them went to the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands.\u00a0With more protests against overtourism planned in the island communities, Euronews Travel speaks to local residents about their concerns for the future of the Canary Islands. They say it\u2019s not that they don\u2019t want tourists \u2013 but they want to see a change in how guests plan their holiday and behave once they get to the archipelago.The Canary Islands are now a year-round holiday hotspotGuillermo, a local guide in Gran Canaria, says that this winter has been the busiest he\u2019s ever seen. That\u2019s backed up by numbers too, as last December was 1.1 per cent higher than the same period in 2023, according to data from Instituto Nacional de Estad\u00edstica (INE), Spain\u2019s statistical office.The largest of the islands, Gran Canaria has always been more of a winter destination, says Guillermo, highlighting that the British came to the north of the island 200 years ago seeking out health tourism with the mild climate, medicinal waters, and the grand spas at Azuaje and Berrazales.\u201cThings changed in the 1950s and 1960s. People went to the south coast looking for the sun. I think things are changing again as people now come in the summer months and look at other attractions, like our landscapes, culture and history, the beauty of our hiking and diving spots, and whale watching. It\u2019s not like the Balearic Islands where everything comes to a stop in the winter.\u201d\u00a0Unlike some of his peers who work for large tour companies, Guillermo says he is \u2018privileged\u2019 as he runs his own company, which specialises in private and small group nature and history tours.\u00a0Guillermo has traditionally spent his summers doing less guiding work, preferring to help with local conservation efforts instead, but finds that nowadays he has visitors booking him all year-round.Most of Spain\u2019s visitors came from the United KingdomIn 2024, the bulk of Spain\u2019s visitors came from three European countries: the United Kingdom, France, and Germany. Brits in Spain spent a total of \u20ac22.602 billion in 2024, notably 13.5 per cent more than 2023.Catalonia in northeastern Spain \u2013 home to popular holiday hotspots Barcelona and the lively beach resort of Costa Brava \u2013\u00a0 received the most tourists at 19.9 million.\u00a0But the Balearic (15.3 million visitors) and Canary Islands (15.2 million visitors) weren\u2019t far behind.\u00a0These are stark figures: the seven Canary Islands have a population of just 2.2 million people, which means last year there were 6.9 times more visitors than residents.Last year, protestors took to the streets of Ibiza saying they are forced to live in cars and caravans because they can\u2019t afford housing as tourism accommodation has priced them out. Like locals in the Canaries, they said they are not against tourism per se, just the negative impacts of it on everyday life.Data shows that visitor numbers to the Canary Islands are set to rise yet again in 2025, based on visitor numbers from the first few months of this year.\u00a0Even locals working in tourism are involved in protestsDespite making his livelihood from the industry, Guillermo has joined the so-called \u2018anti-tourist\u2019 protests in Gran Canaria and tells Euronews Travel that the international media misunderstands what they are really about.\u00a0He says residents want to \u201cregain balance\u201d and help to solve the issues caused by the pressure of increased visitors.\u00a0ADVERTISEMENTRight now, most of the tourism money is leaving the island, Guillermo says.\u201cWe want a fair amount of the income that tourism creates to go to the local population. Most of the benefits go outside the island to foreign companies.\u201dOne of the biggest issues, he flags, is the \u201ctight situation\u201d in housing, caused mostly by short-term rentals operated by outside players.Airbnb has not brought the money locals hoped for\u201cSince Airbnb started rocketing up, local people can no longer live in the areas they used to, and housing is becoming impossible across all the islands. When you find [Canarian] people having full-time jobs and not being able to pay rent, you can see that there\u2019s a problem there.\u201d\u00a0ADVERTISEMENTWhen the online booking platform arrived on the island, Guillermo says most residents thought it would be a good way for them to share in the boon of tourism.\u00a0For 10 or 20 years, that was how it was used he says: \u201cIf you had a family heritage home sitting empty, brothers and sisters could make some money.\u201d\u201cBut now whole buildings in Las Palmas, where people were once living, are dedicated to holiday rentals. It needs to be regulated. There are foreign companies buying up entire houses and not having to pay taxes for it here – or anywhere else. That\u2019s a big no-no.\u201dSome nationwide rules apply to short-term rentals in the archipelago, including a mandatory registration system. From 3 April 2025, residents will be able to vote to ban some new holiday rentals in local housing areas.\u00a0ADVERTISEMENTThe regional government has similarly proposed a new law on \u2018Viviendas Vacacionales\u2019 (short-term rentals). But the draft is mainly focused on illegal listings and safety standards, tasking more police to shut down illegal listings, and handing out fines of \u20ac30,000 to owners of unlicensed lodgings.\u00a0Nestor Marrero Rodr\u00edguez, secretary of ATAN (the Tenerife Association of Friends of Nature),\u00a0 and an organiser of Tenerife\u2019s overtourism protests, has the same message to tourists: \u201cAvoid using Airbnb because it increases rental prices for locals and generates a serious process of gentrification.\u201d Instead, he suggests visitors stay in locally-run accommodation.Nestor highlights that mass protests are being organised for April 2025 while smaller, independent actions are underway to raise awareness. This includes a march taking place on 16 February in Tenerife\u2019s capital, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, to coincide with the FVW Travel Talk congress, a major international travel event.\u00a0\u201cThese protests would probably not even happen if locals had a better reflection of the economy that was generated in tourism,\u201d adds Guillermo.ADVERTISEMENTTourist behaviour adds fire to local pressureCanarian residents are concerned about the archipelago\u2019s fragile nature and resource use, and feel some visitors aren\u2019t always respectful.The \u201cworst behaviours\u201d Nestor has witnessed in Tenerife include assaulting airplane staff, (\u201cwhich cause delays\u201d), going off authorised trails, collecting rocks and shells, and flying drones in protected areas, which he cautions \u201cis illegal in most of the archipelago without permission\u201d.\u00a0\u201cBritish tourists are undoubtedly the worst behaved and show dramatic reactions in person and in the media when their behaviour and rejection by the local population is exposed,\u201d he says, adding that this is often exacerbated by overdrinking and violence.Guillermo is less critical of British visitors. \u201cI\u2019m an English-speaking guide so my opinion is based solely on what I see around me. I find most British people on my tours respectful, but with all cultures there will always be people I have to tell not to litter or drop their cigarette filters on the ground. And there will always be a certain profile of people coming just for the drinks or the sun.\u201dADVERTISEMENTThe local guide says that his business model relies on preserving Gran Canaria\u2019s nature. \u201cYou might think it doesn\u2019t matter if you wander off an official path in a protected area \u2013 like the special natural reserve of the Maspalomas Dunes. But know that it\u2019s not just you \u2013 four million people are doing the same! When thousands of people trespass daily it all adds up.\u201d\u201cI understand that not everyone is looking for the local culture, but I ask you to be aware that there are people living here 365 days of the year. It\u2019s not a theme park. You can\u2019t do as you please because you think someone is coming to clean your mess. We are directly affected by your misbehaving and attitudes,\u201d adds Guillermo.Overtourism: You don\u2019t have to be part of the problemThe best way to ensure you are perceived to not be part of the problem is to \u201cfollow the rules,\u201d says Guillermo. \u201cDon\u2019t drive your rental car in a place where it\u2019s not allowed. Don\u2019t pick flowers and rocks as a souvenir or wander off official paths. Try not to leave a trace.\u201d\u00a0Nestor feels that tourists who stay at all-inclusive hotels \u201conly leave a negative footprint of resources on the island\u201d, such as trash and water consumption issues, and adds that most all-inclusive tour operators are \u201cusually owned by foreign companies\u2026that leave little profit for the local population.\u201dADVERTISEMENTBoth islanders say you can help residents and \u201cmake your tourism money matter\u201d by supporting local businesses.\u201cExplore the island by yourself, hire a guide and visit our museums or go on interesting visits to our wineries or our cheese factories,\u201d suggests Guillermo.Nestor has the same message. \u201cGo to the beach instead of using the pool, book real tours and experiences through social networks \u2013 you can find good companies that will offer a real experience.\u201d\u00a0Even if you are visiting for an all-inclusive beach holiday, Guillermo suggests eating dinner in a local restaurant instead of in the hotel, as he thinks most visitors will enjoy the cuisine. However he reflects that in some touristic areas where cooked English breakfasts are the norm you won\u2019t always find the true local flavour.ADVERTISEMENTMore resources to manage visitor numbers is neededAs a nature guide, Guillermo believes that any income from tourism should be used to improve vigilance and regulations in the Canary Island\u2019s natural protected areas. He thinks the local administration should create a budget to pay for better infrastructure and protection of natural resources: \u201cIn the whole island of Lanzarote, they have just two or three forest rangers, that\u2019s very very low!\u201d\u00a0\u201cAt Roque Nublo and Los Azulejos – the most iconic rocks in Gran Canaria – it\u2019s just too much, with cars parked in the middle of the road so even fire trucks and ambulances can\u2019t get through.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Locals in the Canary Islands aren\u2019t \u2018anti-visitor\u2019, but say they are only suffering from tourists\u2019 bad behaviour rather than reaping the benefits. ADVERTISEMENTAlmost 100 million foreign tourists visited Spain in 2024 – and 30.5 million of them went to the Canary Islands and Balearic<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":205604,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-205603","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-travel"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205603","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205605,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205603\/revisions\/205605"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205604"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globetimeline.com\/ar\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}