Morocco Gains Popularity as British Tourists Shift from Canary Islands

In 2024, Lanzarote experienced its own wave of protests. Some protesters protested against mass tourism. Thus, they demanded a limitation of the number of visitors, particularly in certain areas where cruise ship passengers and short-term vacation rentals have invaded the island. They also expressed their concerns about housing shortages, resource consumption and the impact of mass tourism on their way of life. These protests prompted Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy to warn that the Canary Islands "are playing a dangerous game" by making tourists feel unwelcome. The British could easily choose alternative destinations like Turkey or Morocco instead, he added.

Lanzarote wants to turn the page in 2025 through the emergence of a counter-movement called: Lanzarote Loves Tourism. Even if tourism must be managed with caution, it remains the backbone of the island’s economy, say many residents and business owners. "Tourism has been and will be our main sector, the one that has helped us develop and enjoy a better life and that, like our island, we must protect," said restaurateur Augusto Ferreira, one of the initiators of Lanzarote Loves Tourism, to Telegraph. Currently, Lanzarote is working to attract tourists, especially the British. Of the 18 million visitors to the Canary Islands last year, one third came from the United Kingdom.