DROVES of defiant Brits are rushing to book trips to Tenerife this summer — despite local anger at the holiday-making hordes.
Demand has soared following bitter demonstrations across the Canary Island last month by residents demanding a cap on the number of visitors.
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Package holiday firm On The Beach has seen sales rise by a third compared with the two weeks before the protests.
Bookings are already up 18 per cent on 2023.
The island, with its dependable sun and beer at £2.60 a pint, is a firm UK favourite.
Nearly 14million tourists visited last year — up 13 per cent on 2022.
The Spanish island’s population is just 2.2million.
Locals say they cannot afford to buy a home and blame their 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.
However, those working in tourism are keen to welcome Brits.
Local Samantha Hasala said: “Lots of people are saying, ‘We don’t want tourists here anymore’ — but it is not really about British people.
“It’s just because most of our tourists are British.
“We love British people.”
Leigh Buckingham, from Chorley, Lancs, is off to Tenerife next month with his family.
He bought a package holiday on April 26 and said: “I saw the protests but it hasn’t stopped me — it actually reminded me to book.
“We love it there.
“We go pretty much every year.
“Who can argue with lots of sun, sand and sangria?”
Zoe Harris, from On The Beach, said Tenerife was its third most popular destination behind Majorca and Antalya in Turkey.
She said: “We’ve been analysing booking numbers closely since the protests and it seems it’s only encouraged more Brits to book.
“Thousands have made their holiday plans concrete in the last few weeks.
“We’re expecting more bookings to fly in.”
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