Top Tenerife anti-tourist crusader is revealed as a BRIT who admits he’s constantly branded a ‘hypocrite’
ONE of the top anti-tourist crusaders in Tenerife has been revealed as a proud British ex-pat.
Welshman Brian Harrison, 57, has admitted he is constantly branded a “hypocrite” for his role in leading a campaign group on the island calling for a limit on tourism.
Brian, originally from Bridgend, South Wales, is the secretary general of the Salvar La Tejita protest group who are looking to clamp down on the number of visitors flocking to the island.
The group is in favour of implementing a controversial tourist tax as well as taking part in a huge number of anti-tourism protests across Spain this summer.
With Brian, a man who moved to Tenerife after finishing university in the UK, now standing alongside those calling for stricter measures on holidaymakers.
Directly battling against those who feel the Welsh engineer was in a similar position to them over 30 years ago.
Brian has admitted he is frequently questioned over his allegiance with him telling The Telegraph he is often quizzed with: “Don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical?”
The Brit turned Spaniard has opened up on his position and hit back saying: “I’ve never really felt like I belonged anywhere.
“I didn’t just go on holiday to Spain and stay there, I made a plan to move here when I was in my early twenties and I’ve lived here for most of my life.”
Despite recognising the irony of him heading up a group who may have once stood in his way, he has argued as a now happy and long term resident he deserves a say.
“Why wouldn’t anyone want to take care of a place they’ve lived in for over 30 years?” the Welsh engineer added.
“I’ve got no plans to leave here, and whilst I’m here, I’ll fit in with the culture, but I don’t feel obliged to do it.”
He also added that the issue for many Spanish residents isn’t with the people coming to the islands but rather the sheer volume of holidaymakers.
Tenerife is becoming “unsustainable” with the amount of people calling it home for a few weeks a year, he claims.
It comes as droves of defiant Brits rushed to book trips to Tenerife this summer – despite local anger at the holiday-making hordes.
In an interview on Good Morning Britain, Brian said: “Tourists are always welcome here, there will be no hostility. But obviously action needs to be taken.”
He continued saying the authorities “have to take action to limit tourism, to make tourism sustainable” after years of neglect.
Locals say they cannot afford to buy a home and blame the government for allowing holiday rentals and accommodation construction to drive up housing costs.
They hope curbing tourism, which accounts for 35 per cent of Tenerife’s GDP, will mean they are not priced out.
TOURIST TENSION
In the Majorcan capital Palma, two big protests have this year taken place as locals rage about overcrowding and dwindling affordable housing.
Other smaller protests have taken place elsewhere on the island as well as its Balearic neighbours Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.
On July 27, around 250 protesters impeded tourist access to a Menorcan beach in a “surprise action”.
Activists boasted of filling a car park by Cala Turqueta, a beautiful cove on the island’s southern coast, with “residents’ cars”.
They then used towels and their own bodies to shape the message “SOS Menorca” on the sand by the waterline.
The unannounced protest, by environmental non-profit organisation GOB Menorca, resulted in the car park being “blocked” to holidaymakers for around six hours from early morning, according to local reports.
Anti-mass-tourism protests have also taken place in the Canary Islands, as well as mainland hotspots like Alicante and Malaga.
On August 18, protesters unfurled a huge banner telling tourists on a packed Costa Blanca beach in Alicante that read: “Go home.”
Graffiti targeted at tourists has appeared in both Tenerife and Majorca.
The activists let off pink flares to make sure holidaymakers relaxing on the sand or cooling off in the sea received the message.
They appeared to be directing themselves at English-speaking visitors with the language they used in bright-red capital letters.
They also used the local Valencian language to appeal to residents with a message above it on the banner which said: “Aturem La Turistificacio (Stop Touristification).”
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.
Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.