Walter Finch
A BRITISH immigrant living in Tenerife has ignited controversy by leading an anti-tourism campaign that calls for a tax on holidaymakers visiting the popular Spanish island.
Brian Harrison, the secretary general of Salvar La Tejita (Save La Tejita), a group formed in 2016 to protest a new hotel development, has become a prominent figure in the Spain-wide anti-tourism movement.
The Brit, who has lived in Spain for 30 years, has faced accusations of hypocrisy for advocating for restrictions on tourism while benefiting from the island’s thriving tourism industry.
He has admitted that he is frequently asked: “Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical?”
Harrison argues that his long-term residency in Tenerife qualifies him to advocate for the island’s well-being, despite the irony of his position.
He insists that his group is not against tourists but rather the unsustainable levels of tourism that have overwhelmed the island.
“The problem is not the people who come here, but the huge numbers of people who come, the volume,” he said.
“For an island that has limited space, it is unsustainable. This is the problem,” he said.
The number of visitors to Tenerife has skyrocketed in recent years, reaching approximately six million annually, far surpassing the levels seen when Harrison first arrived in 1991.
It’s a situation which has led to the island’s infrastructure and resources struggling to cope with such a massive influx of tourists.
Salvar La Tejita has been involved in various protests against tourism development in Tenerife, including demonstrations against a new hotel being built in the protected area of La Tejita.
Development was restarted on Hotel La Tejita this year after previously being stopped for environmental violations.
It was supposed to open in 2023, but 30% of its boundaries were found to fall in a zone prohibited for tourist development.
It is also reportedly in violation of environmental regulations as it lacks a proper water treatment system. The hotel’s opening would exacerbate the already delicate sewage situation in southern Tenerife, according to environmental groups.
Currently, just a three-story skeleton stands, battered and corroded by the sea air while a legal case against the hotel’s licence is pending.
Salvar La Tejita has also called for a tourist tax to help mitigate the negative impacts of tourism on the island.
The Canaries, along with other Spanish tourist destinations, have seen a surge in anti-tourism sentiment in recent years.
Locals have expressed concerns about overcrowding, rising housing costs, and the degradation of their environment due to mass tourism.
Harrison told Good Morning Britain: “Tourists are always welcome here, there will be no hostility. But obviously action needs to be taken.
“The government has had three decades to deal with this problem and it has gotten worse every year. This is the last resort for the government to take notice.”
