Thousands of people across the Canary Islands marched on Saturday, urging the government to change its tourism strategy and place a freeze on the number of visitors to the islands, arguing that it has made life unaffordable and environmentally unsustainable for residents.

Police said 20,000 people attended the demonstrations, but organisers put the figure closer to 50,000. Tourism accounts for 35% of the archipelago’s GDP, with close to 13.9 million people visiting the islands in 2023, placing a strain on the islands' resources and making rent unaffordable.

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