Lanzarote President Dolores Corujo has repeated calls to change the Canary island’s tourism model amid concerns it has become saturated with tourists.

Ms Corujo said the island had ‘far exceeded its tourist carrying capacity’, adding there was ‘overflow’ in some areas.

The President hit the headlines earlier this year after she reportedly said she wanted Lanzarote to move away from high-volume British bookings, so the island wasn’t so reliant on ‘mass tourism’.

Her comments upset Jet2 boss Steve Heapy and the island’s tourism chiefs, but she later said British tourists would always be welcome in Lanzarote.  

However, speaking on Wednesday (10 May), Ms Corujo once again repeated fears about the island’s tourism future.

According to Canarian Weekly, she said: “The island has far exceeded its tourist capacity. It does not put Lanzarote’s image at risk, but it does highlight that people are confusing development with growth and overflow in certain areas.  

“We cannot continue by not facing reality. Lanzarote needs to take measures to redirect its tourism model. For this, it’s essential to have a rigorous and realistic diagnosis.”

Ms Corujo made her latest remarks as she presented findings from a local study on Lanzarote’s tourism capacity.   

The study indicated the island had seen excessive growth and overflow in certain areas because of the building of holiday homes.

She reportedly said the study was ‘binding’ and must be considered by all building projects on the island.