The Canary Islands have become infiltrated with cruise passengers, despite escalating calls to stop over-tourism. Last year, a - as thousands of angry locals took to the streets.

Residents armed with banners reading 'tourists go home' and 'to make this land your resort - it's no longer our home' criticised Brits for environmentally harming their homeland, as well as pricing them out of the property market due to the volume of holiday homes and short-term rentals. Since then, and enact a temporary ban on the opening of new hotels have both gotten louder.

But, it appears these demands have fallen on deaf ears. The huge blow comes as cruise holidays to the hotspot have skyrocketed - despite some Brits even being confronted by locals about their unwanted presence on the island.

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Independent travel agency has analysed figures from cruise demand in 2018 compared to 2024, and witnessed a staggering 7,954 per cent increase for the Canary Islands. In 2023, it was reported that the Canary Islands accounted for more than 20 per cent of Spain's entire cruise passenger traffic, with the port authorities of Las Palmas (Gran Canaria) and Santa Cruz de Tenerife welcoming more than 1,000 cruise ships each.

In a statement sent to the , Iglu Cruise's CCO Dave Mills said the Canary Islands had grown 'from strength to strength' as a cruise destination in the last six years. "Having diverse enough islands to feel like you've visited several different destinations in one cruise, a balmy climate, and relatively short flight times to get to the sunshine are all reasons why this destination is a general favourite for the UK," he added.

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The pro said the 'substantial' growth can also be attributed to the number of major cruise lines upping their routes around the archipelago - with the likes of P&O Cruises and Marella Cruises both offering trips around the Canaries. Iglu Cruise also found that cruise demand has increased in other hotspots across the including in Hawaii (2,935 per cent), and the Mediterranean (6,228 per cent). Even colder cruises such as in Alaska have witnessed a 113 per cent surge in the last six years.

Despite their insatiable popularity, cruise ships often get a bad reputation for their environmental impact. Sustainability experts also argue cruises aren't good for local businesses and residents - as small destinations will see a sudden influx of visitors who have a limited time on the island, which creates an intense demand for goods like food and souvenirs.

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