Residents in Tenerife say they want to attract 'higher quality' visitors - while messages have appeared on walls saying: 'Tourists go home.'
British holidaymakers are hitting back at Canary Islands complaints about an influx of tourists by scrawling their own angry graffiti - and booking even more trips.
Protests are being staged by Tenerife locals demanding a crackdown on British and German visitors they say are snapping up homes and pushing up prices.
Yet Manchester-based tourism firm On The Beach has now revealed there were 10 per cent more Tenerife bookings last Saturday compared to seven days earlier. The number of holidaymakers booking with the firm to visit the Canaries last winter holidays rose by 15 per cent compared to 12 months earlier - with 11.7 per cent of all winter holidays going to Tenerife in particular.
'This was a paradise but now it's not and it makes me angry. We must reduce the number of flights and visitors and focus on bringing higher quality people.' She said: 'It's like there are two worlds in Tenerife, the tourists and the locals, and we don't mix. READ MORE: British and Irish holiday home owners in the Canary Islands are being hit with £2,000 fines for refusing to rent them out to tourists Advertisement A protest has been planned for today in Santa Cruz, dubbed 'Salvar La Tejida' .
The frustrated groups are also battling for the introduction of an eco-tax or tourist tax and regulation of property purchases by foreigners. A warning has been issued by government leaders and a hotel employers' association as mass protests over 'overcrowding' ahead of the demos this month. 'Never should there be attacks on an economic activity that puts food on the plate of most people living in the Canary Islands.'
Five islands will have their own demonstrations against the developmental model and in favour of limiting sales of homes to foreigners. He said: 'The quality of the tourist product is being destroyed by the investors and the regional government.' READ MORE: Boozed up Brits on tour are NOT welcome in Seville, says local mayor: Spanish council moves to outlaw scantily clad hen and stag dos Advertisement But Melissa Taylor, 47, who works in the popular Giddy Goose English pub in Las Playas de las Americas, told MailOnline: 'The anti-tourism stuff has suddenly peaked recently.'Brits come here and spend a lot of money, the overwhelming majority of our customers are from the UK.
'It's just too expensive and there are very few available long-term - I would probably have to move to another country and start afresh.'Melissa Taylor and Terrilea Clayton work in the popular Giddy Goose English pub in Las Playas de las Americas. Ms Taylor said: 'The anti-tourism stuff has suddenly peaked recently... without tourism there would be nothing here'
'We've been coming here for 20 years and have more than helped the economy, we Brits always get a bad rep but we bring all the money in.'
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