All flights between Luxembourg and the Canary Islands are operating normally, but Luxair customers will have to contend with a general strike in the hotel sector on Thursday and Good Friday.

Right in the middle of the Easter holiday period, a general strike has hit the hotel sector in the Canary Islands – a Spanish archipelago off the coast of Morocco that remains especially popular with Luxembourgish tourists. As a result, hotel services on the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera and La Palma – all served by Luxair – are operating at reduced capacity on 17 and 18 April 2025, the airline announced in a press release on Thursday afternoon.

According to Luxair, hotels on these islands are maintaining only basic services, with a minimal provision of food and drinks. The airline stated that it is doing everything possible to lessen the disruption for its customers. The LuxairTours team has contacted affected travellers and is closely monitoring developments.

Hotel services are expected to return to normal from Saturday, 19 April. All flights between Luxembourg and the Canary Islands are operating as scheduled.

The general strike during the Easter holidays stems from an unresolved dispute between unions and the hospitality industry. Workers are demanding better pay and improved working conditions.

Overtourism

Spain, now the world's second most visited country after France, welcomed 94 million tourists in 2024 – a 10% increase from 2023 and the highest figure ever recorded. While this is a positive sign for the Spanish economy, authorities are also concerned about overcrowding and have pledged to step up efforts to tackle the effects of overtourism.

Indeed, although record visitor numbers have boosted the economy, they have also sparked growing tensions among residents – especially in popular destinations such as Barcelona, Malaga, the Balearic Islands and the Canary Islands. Protests against overtourism in these areas intensified throughout 2024.