Spain's tourist hotspots face backlash as locals launch new protest wave

UK holidaymakers are facing rising tensions in popular destinations such as Majorca, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Menorca and Ibiza, with both the Canary and Balearic Islands experiencing protests and increasing unrest over overtourism and a perceived surge of visitors.

This Sunday, demonstrators are planning to march through the streets carrying banners that read 'We are in danger; degrow tourism!", according to BBC News.

Last Sunday, protests were also seen in the Canary Islands, despite it not being the peak tourist season.

Unlike previous anti-tourism protests, Sunday saw a wave of people flocking to key tourist areas throughout the Canary Islands, including popular beaches where British sunbathers found themselves having to take cover or hastily leave.

Unhappy locals called for measures such as an increase in the tourist tax or a total "moratorium" on all tourists .Holidaymakers at Playa de las Americas and Troya beaches in Tenerife had to shield behind their beach towels when a large, loud protest stormed the beach, telling tourists to leave, with many of their signs written in English.

The crowd rallied under the slogan "The Canary Islands have a limit," blaming the influx of tourists for straining public services, chanting "more tourists, more misery. "

Anti-tourism sentiment is surging across vacation hotspots from Barcelona to the Canary Islands as local groups are banding together to protest against the adverse effects of mass tourism.

Despite the Spanish government's crackdown which included banning over 14,000 illegal vacation rentals in Madrid alone, this grassroots movement shows no sign of abating

.On Sunday, a statement from a nascent anti-tourist coalition reinforced their intent: "We will go to the tourist areas because that is where the injustice we are denouncing is taking place and because that is where we want to confront the system that is destroying our islands.

"In a surprising turn of events, it seems UK holidaymakers are set to bypass Spain for their next getaway due to increasing demonstrations and discontent among European Union locals regarding "overtourism".

On the Beach's latest Summer Sun Report identifies Turkey as "the number one holiday hotspot for Brits".

Commenting on this emerging trend, Zoe Harris, the chief customer officer for On the Beach, proclaimed Turkey as "officially the King of summer and the number one holiday hotspot for Brits", seeing it as a significant shift for Turkey as it claims its rightful spot among the preferred beach package holiday destinations.