Tourists visiting Lanzarote have encountered disruptive actions, such as sealing Airbnb key boxes with glue and obstructing access to popular scenic locations.
Videos circulated on social media depict activists using strong adhesive to secure lock boxes utilized by holiday rental proprietors, potentially hindering incoming guests from reaching their accommodations.
These boxes, usually affixed to property exteriors, store keys accessible via a PIN code provided by hosts.
Furthermore, demonstrators were captured placing red-and-white tape and unofficial warning signs at tourist sites, including pathways leading to volcanic viewpoints, seemingly aiming to deter visitors.
Online images also reveal stickers affixed to vacation rentals conveying messages like: “Your tourism damages our environment.”
Advocates argue that they are highlighting the repercussions of mass tourism on local communities, notably the surge in housing prices and the scarcity of affordable homes for residents.
Additionally, some activists have left notes on rental vehicles cautioning visitors that they are “contributing to our displacement.”
A note stated: “By selecting this holiday accommodation in our town, you are aiding in our displacement. We have no place to reside. Travel responsibly. Do not be complicit in this enterprise.”
Instances of graffiti bearing slogans such as “Tourists go home” have surfaced in various parts of the island.
These protests coincide with a surge in tourist numbers for Lanzarote. Over 400,000 travelers arrived from UK airports in the initial three months of 2026, as per reports from local media.
Residents’ associations throughout Spain’s tourist hubs have increasingly expressed worries about the impact of short-term vacation rentals and escalating visitor volumes on local housing markets.
Similar actions have been documented in other parts of Spain. Earlier this year, numerous Airbnb key boxes in Granada were reportedly sealed shut in a coordinated protest against holiday accommodations.
Last summer, large-scale demonstrations against mass tourism unfolded across Spain, with activists contending that the expansion of short-term rentals is heightening the challenge for local residents to secure affordable housing.
