Canary Green recently joined the Tenerife Pod to talk about tourism in the Canary Islands, what it actually means on the ground, and why the current model isn’t working. Here are the ideas worth sitting with.
The Scale of the Problem
18 million visitors a year. 2.2 million residents. Once you understand that ratio, a lot of things that might seem like unrelated local problems start to connect: housing costs, sewage in the ocean, roads that weren’t built for this volume. It’s all the same story.
The infrastructure has simply not kept pace. And at some point, you have to stop looking at growth as the answer when growth is the problem.
Who Actually Benefits?
Many of the large hotel operators here are investment companies with no real connection to the islands. Their managers fly in, their mandate is occupancy rates and cost-cutting, and nothing in their brief asks them to think about what’s happening outside the walls of their building.
Meanwhile, the people who actually live and work here are being priced out. Short-term rental licences in residential areas have removed housing from the local market. People working in the south can’t afford to live there. “Everything is becoming tourism-based and there’s nowhere to live now.”
The tourism industry generates enormous wealth. The question is where that wealth actually goes.
The Story We’re Telling (and the One We’re Not)
A TikTok creator films himself boasting about one-euro pints and four-euro meals. Hundreds of thousands of views. That video is shaping who comes to these islands and why, and most people in the industry have no idea it exists.
The Canary Islands have a genuinely compelling story to tell: volcanic wines, eight islands with wildly different landscapes, a living culture that goes far deeper than the resort strips. But that story isn’t getting out, because nobody is telling it. Instead, we’ve let others define the destination for us, and they’ve defined it as cheap.
Attracting different visitors isn’t about being elitist. It’s about attracting people who spend their money in locally owned restaurants and accommodation, who actually engage with the place, and whose presence doesn’t cost more than it contributes.
What Needs to Change, and What You Can Do Today
The real fixes are structural: tighter regulation on short-term rentals, better licensing enforcement, a tourism model built around quality rather than volume. That work is ongoing, and it matters.
But if you’re here right now, some things don’t need to wait. Choose licensed whale-watching boats (look for the yellow cetacean flag; the full updated list is on this link). Skip the daily towel change. Ditch single-use plastic bottles. Be careful with wet wipes, which are one of the bigger problems in the ocean around here and something most people never think about.
Small things. But at 18 million visitors a year, small things add up fast.
Listen to the full episode of the Tenerife Pod to hear the whole conversation. And if you want to do something more concrete, our next beach cleanup is coming up (details on the website), or browse the sustainable directory for places that are actually doing this right.
Canary Green’s tips to enjoying sustainable tourism in Canary Islands
Visiting Canary Islands on holiday doesn’t give you free rein to leave your values and principles at home. We encourage travellers to seek out sustainable options and keep up with environmental practices while travelling. Our top tips for a relaxed and wholesome stay include:
- Consider green transport options. Are you able to take a ferry to the island instead of flying? While you are here is a car necessary? Investigate public transport links or choose green options such as electric cars, green-hydrogen cars or e-bikes.
- Choose destinations that value sustainability and choose green alternatives such as solar power, recycling and energy-efficient architecture. This extends to places that value workers’ rights and the impact on the local community.
- Bring your own water bottle with you and refill it instead of buying single-use plastic bottles.
- Make use of the recycling when out and about and don’t just throw your rubbish in the nearest bin.
- Take advantage of local knowledge and immerse yourself in the culture through campaigns such as #Ilovecanarias and #meatfreemondaycanarias.
- Most of all, have fun and enjoy your time in the Canary Islands.
Thank you
Thank you to everyone involved in this Canary Green project where our aim is to help promote sustainable tourism in the Canary Islands.
Do you want us to find you more sustainable choices? Please support us and donate today!
- John Beckley; Founder of Canary Green non profit
- Canary Green non profit:
- Media communication & partnerships coordination: Aurora Bus
- Marine & coastal project manager: Daphne Geißen
- AI consultant: Sebastian Betz
- Media communication & partnerships coordination: Catarina Tuerlings Pires
Sustainable Development Associate: Claudia Scharff
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