Two British women have been caught on camera brawling in the street at a popular Tenerife nightspot with the footage sparking fury among locals.
A shocking video shows the pair violently tussling on the ground in Playa de Las Américas while leering yobs cheer them on.
At the start of the clip, one of the women appears to tackle the other, sending her crashing onto the tarmac.
The holidaymakers then exchange several punches before finally being pulled apart by bystanders.
The footage has highlighted mounting concerns over tourist behaviour in the south of Tenerife, Spain‘s largest Canary Island.
A clip of the incident, which occurred in the early hours of the weekend, was shared on Instagram via the account @tenerifequejasvecinales, which frequently posts complaints and reports from local residents.
The video was taken opposite Las Verónicas, the main area for nightclubs in Playa de Las Américas.
It has led to a wave of criticism on social media, with many flocking to the comments section to express their frustration over repeated incidents of anti-social behaviour in the area.
The alarming moment two British women came to blows in the street of a popular Tenerife nightspot was caught on camera – sparking fury from locals
Shocking footage shows the pair violently tussling on the ground in Playa de Las Américas while leering yobs cheer them on
The tourists exchange several punches before finally being pulled apart by bystanders
One person wrote, ‘This is becoming unbearable,’ while another added, ‘What a disgrace, and it’s only getting worse.’
Local residents have long complained about the unruly atmosphere in Tenerife, particularly during peak tourist seasons.
This latest incident has intensified calls for increased police presence and tighter regulation of nightlife activity.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement regarding the altercation, but the video’s widespread circulation has already reignited debates about the impact of mass tourism on public order in Tenerife’s most visited areas.
It comes as Brits have started to turn their backs on the Canary Islands with hotels seeing a dip in bookings amid a renewed surge in anti-tourism protests.
Thousands of fed-up locals kicked off demonstrations across the archipelago on May 18, as protesters stormed the streets and beaches of the Canary Islands.
The latest protests came after Santiago Sese, president of the Tenerife’s Chamber of Commerce, expressed concern on Friday after he revealed that the number of British reservations for this summer have fallen by eight per cent year-on-year.
He said competing countries like Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and neighbouring Morocco have all seen their bookings increase.
Sese also regretted that the advertising campaigns specifically targeting the UK are not having an impact.
At the start of the clip one of the women appears to tackle the other, sending her crashing onto the tarmac
The video has highlighted mounting concerns over tourist behaviour in the south of Spain’s largest Canary island
The Canary Islands government now wants to hold emergency talks with activists following the plunge in British bookings.
Tourism minister for Tenerife Lope Afonso said he wants to ‘discuss the future of the islands,’ with local demonstrators.
The president of Tenerife’s federation of hotel owners Pedro Alfonso chimed in, warning that ‘every small collapse has an echo in trust’, noting that ‘when confidence falls, investment comes to a halt.’
Calling for a return to ‘dialogue, trust, and common sense,’ Alfonso expressed the importance of safeguarding jobs and restoring stability on the island that is heavily dependent on British tourism during the summer months.
Last year residents on the island blasted holidaymakers for turning their paradise into a ‘tourism ghetto’ thanks to soaring rents, inflation, and yobbish behaviour.
Tensions are growing on the Canary Island, which has seen the number of tourists soar since Covid.
In 2023, Tenerife received 5.6million visitors, up 600,000 compared to 2019, setting a new record.
The holiday resort made headline news in March 2024 after a series of graffiti messages were scrawled on walls and buildings, reading ‘tourists go home’, ‘your paradise, our misery’, and ‘average salary in Canary Islands €1,200.’
While some locals attempted to shrug off the graffiti as the work of a disgruntled few, there are many on the island who found agreement with the message.
Thousands of fed-up locals kicked off demonstrations across Tenerife on May 18, as protesters stormed the streets and beaches of the Canary Islands
The Canary Islands has a population of 2.2million people, but welcomes around 18million holidaymakers each year
Local Josua Garcia-Garcia, 33, works in a bar in Playas de las Americas, just a couple of kilometres from where the graffiti was found.
He told MailOnline: ‘It can be a nightmare when the tourists come, I only get four hours of sleep every night because of the music and noise, which keeps me up until three in the morning.
‘We need stricter rules for tourists, a lot of them are ignorant of how we are suffering.
‘Rents are soaring and people on average salaries cannot afford to live here any more, once they pay their rent they have no money for food.
‘I only live in the south of the island, where all the resorts are, while working, then I escape to my family home in the north for peace and quiet.
‘It brings me shame to see how some areas have been totally saturated by tourism. The police and security need to be tougher and bring in stricter rules, people are fed up.’
Anti-tourism campaigners claim an increase in Airbnb homes and holiday lets means an increasing number of homes are unavailable to rent to locals.
Anti-tourism campaigners claim an increase in Airbnb homes and holiday lets means an increasing number of homes are unavailable to rent to locals
Tourism minister for Tenerife Lope Afonso said he wants to ‘discuss the future of the islands,’ with local demonstrators
This decreases supply and therefore brings price increases. Homeowners are more tempted to rent to high-paying holidaymakers than long-term tenants.
Recent pro-tenant legislation is likely to make the situation worse, with landlords now unable to increase the price of long-term rents for five years after signing a contract.
It is also incredibly difficult to remove tenants in Spain, where squatting is rife, often making renting long term a less appealing option.
Tenerife has an economy largely built around tourism from northern Europe.
But the vandalism has proven divisive among residents, who have taken to community forums to express their views – some supporting the messaging as others ask whether creating a ‘lawless pigsty’ of graffiti helps.
‘We hate the 16millions visitors every year, the island [has] collapsed and we don’t have any place to go, like you. Go home!’ one resident wrote on Facebook.
‘Everything is for tourists… this is our prison paradise,’ wrote another. ‘Just try to understand us local people. If you don’t[,] go home!’
Critics of the vandalism on several community groups called for the graffiti to be cleaned up and said they had contacted the relevant authorities.
Responding to some of the support for the slogans, one user wrote: ‘You really think living in a lawless pigsty will improve your children’s future?’
Another said: ‘It would appear that by your actions, you have no respect for other peoples’ property.
‘Don’t you think it’s a bit cowardly to go round at night spraying messages rather than standing up and campaigning for your beliefs?’
Some voiced support for tourism – the island’s largest industry – with comments like ‘Without tourism there is no economy’ and ‘The whole of the Canary Islands couldn’t continue in any shape or form without tourists’
But others were critical of the kind of tourism Tenerife attracts.
‘Nothing justifies vandalism, but people are fed up. We want sustainable and respectful tourism that doesn’t harm us and adapts to us, not us to them,’ one wrote.
‘If you get my message congratulations you are welcome to MY land. If you don’t understand that there is a problem and you feel offended, it is because you are part of the problem.’
