Incredible pictures show scale of Tenerife protest as 120k march against overtourism

Tens of thousands of people joined a march in Tenerife’s stunning capital city on April 20 to voice their frustration at the impact the current tourism model is having on the Canary Islands.

The demonstration saw nearly 120,000 locals in attendance, according to one of the organisers, with many carrying placards, holding banners and chanting messages.

The main message the organisers and attendees wanted to get through tourists, local governments and tourism giants alike is that the “Canary Islands have a limit” and that catering for tourists can’t translate into misery for those living on the archipelago.

In the run-up to this successful and peaceful march, the groups behind the march have highlighted the many issues experienced on the archipelago they are at least partially blaming on overtourism.

According to the protest’s organisers, millions of yearly arrivals, paired with the ever-expanding tourism industry and real estate speculation are worsening the acute levels of poverty and housing crisis in Tenerife, pushing locals outside of their homes and placing a major strain on infrastructure, services and the environment.

As Express.co.uk’s investigations editor Zak Garner-Purkis met with organisers and observed the protest, we have picked some of the best pictures from the event.