A Canary reader and attendee of the demonstrations on April 20, has contacted La Voz to denounce that "the term turismofobia is being used to divert attention from legitimate concerns about the negative impacts of tourism" in the Canary Islands.
In this line, he has indicated that by labeling the protests as turismofóbicas, they seek to "divert the debate" towards the attitudes of the local population with tourists and not delve into "the structural problems caused by uncontrolled tourism development."
This citizen has indicated that the use of this term is a way of presenting the protests as "a struggle between us and them, instead of addressing the complex economic, social and environmental dynamics behind the tourism industry."
In statements to La Voz, he also wanted to highlight that the proposals of the Government of the Canary Islands to reclassify rustic land to convert it into social housing, "could involve the construction of new infrastructures, instead of taking advantage of and rehabilitating the abandoned buildings that already exist." In addition, he has criticized the institution for continuing with projects "that represent environmental attacks" on islands such as Tenerife.
This activist has assured that the main remains facing the Archipelago is "the impact of uncontrolled tourism" that has led to "the overexploitation of natural resources, the degradation of the landscape and the loss of cultural authenticity."
In addition, he pointed out "the persistence of family mafias that control monopolies for generations and represent a significant challenge for equitable development and economic justice." In this sense, he indicated the "social and economic inequality" suffered by the Archipelago.
To conclude, he highlighted the need to "preserve the environment" against "uncontrolled tourism development" and the need to "implement effective conservation measures to protect the environment."
This reader is the son of a working mother who worked in the kitchen of the hotels, and who worked in different bars of the Archipelago between El Hierro and Tenerife. In addition, after years of living in rent, he now lives on a farm where he works and states that the only option left when the contract ends is to "buy a container and move to another friend's farm."
