Huge change planned for Tenerife - and Brit tourists are all being warned

Authorities in Spain are cracking down on holiday rentals after locals held protests in popular hotspots including Tenerife over soaring property costs and busy city streets

The Canary Islands are one of the most popular holiday destinations among Brits - but tourists are now being warned of a huge change planned for all hotels in Spain, including those in Tenerife.

In the wake of recent anti-tourism protests in hotspots loved by holidaymakers such as Tenerife and Mallorca, authorities said they are cracking down on holiday rentals. This is because locals have become frustrated at soaring property costs and busy city streets.

The latest figures from the National Statistics Agency (INE) revealed that Spain received a record 85.1 million international tourists in 2023 - 19 per cent more than the previous year. And in 2024, the number is expected to go up to 95 million - a 10 per cent increase on last year.

To help locals live affordably and comfortably, authorities said they want to reduce the number of holiday rentals while also encouraging luxury hotels to expand in order to accommodate those no longer able to stay in rental homes and apartments. Earlier this year, Barcelona and Tenerife announced a ban and stricter rules on tourist apartments, aiming to reduce supply.

Although Barcelona will keep its ban on building new hotels downtown, existing establishments will be able to upgrade their classification, reports the Express. Authorities will support a plan to open 5,000 new hotel beds in other areas while shutting all of its 10,000 tourist apartments by 2028.

Jaume Collboni, the mayor of Barcelona, said: "We can do little about demand, but we can act on supply." To attract "quality tourism", he said he wants to reduce overcrowding and prioritise culture and gastronomy-driven visitors, as well as international conferences.

Mr Collboni said hotels guarantee quality and labour rights better than short lets, which have harmed local people's access to housing. Rents rose 68 per cent and house prices went up by 38 per cent in the past decade.

In Tenerife, authorities plan to add 1,000 beds in new luxury hotels near an area in the island’s southeast that already has the largest concentration of five-star hotels in Europe. "We want to compete not as a low-price destination, but as a quality destination," said local tourism chief Lope Alfonso.

It comes after tourists visiting Tenerife were warned of a "dark underbelly" that haunts the popular destination. Those heading to Playa de las Americas especially, where the Veronicas Strip is home to dozens of late-night bars and clubs, have been told to watch out for its "serious drug underworld".

Ciara O'Loughlin spent two summers working in Tenerife as a bartender and claims the island is not all it seems, with it having a "sinister side". She claimed: "There is a serious drug underworld operating on the island. It's not hard to see how some Irish and Brits abroad can get caught up in trouble by innocently stepping on the wrong toes.

"I observed other bars deeply involved in illicit activities, providing a haven for dealers throughout the night. Many young workers on the strip, oblivious to the serious risks, found themselves caught up in dangerous situations linked to these dealers. Guiding drug-seeking tourists to these dealers would earn them a swift €10 (£8.3). In stark contrast, my friend and I begged for tips just to quench our thirst, unlike others who seemed to live without such financial worries."