Key facts
- Lanzarote residents are protesting against the impact of tourism on living costs.
- Protesters have glued shut Airbnb key boxes and used fake police tape to cordon off beauty spots.
- Residents cite high rents and overcrowded beaches as reasons for their actions.
- Tourists from Britain and Ireland account for over half of Lanzarote's tourism business.
Residents on the Spanish island of Lanzarote have taken drastic measures to protest against the influx of tourists, whom they blame for escalating living costs and overcrowded natural attractions. Actions included gluing shut Airbnb key boxes and using fake police tape to block off popular beauty spots. The island heavily relies on tourism, with over two million travellers from Britain and Ireland visiting annually, representing more than half of its total tourism business. This protest highlights growing tensions between local populations and the tourism industry in popular destinations.