Moment when anti-tourism protesters storm a Spanish hotel and start washing dishcloths in the pool in a row over water consumption, as holidaymakers watch from their sun loungers

This is the bizarre moment anti-tourism protesters in Lanzarote stormed a beachside hotel and began washing their dishcloths in the pool as sunbathers watched from their loungers amid growing tensions over the island’s water supplies.

Protesters poured into the Papagayo Arena hotel in Playa Blanca on Monday carrying banners with the slogans “This hotel is illegal” and “Our water is in your pool” to protest against the hotel’s handling of the ongoing water shortages on the Spanish island.

Protesters were seen filling containers with water from the hotel pools. Locals have become frustrated with the recent water cuts, claiming that tourists staying in hotels can enjoy an endless supply.

Footage shared by the group on Instagram shows one of the protesters washing her dishcloths with pool water, while other protesters held banners condemning the hotel.

“Filled swimming pools, illegal hotels and villages without water,” the Instagram caption read.

Protesters poured into the Papagayo Arena hotel in Playa Blanca on Monday carrying banners with the slogans “This hotel is illegal” and “Our water is in your pool” to protest the hotel’s unlawful handling of the Spanish island’s ongoing water shortages .

Protester holds a sign reading ‘Our water is in your pool’ at the Papagayo Arena hotel during a demonstration against the hotel’s alleged violation of land use rules as the island is hit by severe water shortages

Protesters were also seen handing out flyers reading: ‘Now that you know, if you stay at the Sandos Papagayo, you are complicit in this environmental crime’ to hotel guests.

The pamphlets outline the ongoing problems with the island’s water supply.

The islanders are also currently facing severe water shortages due to low supply during a period of drought.

The group, along with other organizations, is also calling for a larger demonstration on October 20 in the Canary Islands to protest against the government’s tourism model and exploitation of local resources.

“This does not represent the interests or voices of those of us who live here, but rather follows the same pattern of exclusion as always,” says environmental group Atan Tenerife.

“While we are sold the idea of ​​a Canary Islands ‘of the future’, which only a few are building, the reality is that this future is being designed without the real participation of society.”

Vacationers relaxing by the pool watched as protesters poured into the hotel

A woman is seen showering at the hotel pool as Lanzarote residents struggle with water cuts

‘Our water is in your pool’ slogan, worn by a member of the ‘Lanzarote Has a Limit’ action group

Protesters walk along the pool holding banners

The group, along with other organizations, is also calling for a larger demonstration on October 20 in the Canary Islands to protest against the government’s tourism model and exploitation of local resources.

The protest is the latest in a series of anti-tourism protests across Spain, leaving scores of visitors furious after paying hundreds of pounds to enjoy their time abroad.

The protest is the latest in a series of anti-tourism protests across Spain, leaving scores of visitors furious after paying hundreds of pounds to enjoy their time abroad.

During the summer months, tens of thousands of Spaniards flooded cities including Barcelona, ​​Madrid, Bilbao and Santa Cruz de Tenerife for the entire season to discourage the more than 85 million tourists who visit Spain annually.

It stems from widespread dissatisfaction in Spain with wages, housing and opportunities, which residents say has been exacerbated by overtourism.

During the six months to the end of June, 42.5 million international visitors traveled to the country, with a 12% increase to 9 million recorded in June alone as the busier summer period picked up, according to Spanish data agency INE.

That means 2024 will be another record year for Spain, which is already the second most visited country in the world after France, likely to surpass last year’s peak of 85 million tourists, when numbers reached surpassed before the pandemic.

Data shows that visitors are increasingly choosing to stay in rental apartments rather than hotels, increasing demand for apartments and encouraging landlords to buy up properties at the expense of residents.

The number of visitors to Spain staying in this type of accommodation in the first half of the year increased by 30%, while the number of visitors staying in hotels increased by 11%.

Aggrieved locals recently made headlines by closing off the 22 entrances to their private community, known for its narrow cobblestone alleys winding through whitewashed houses.