Record-breaking tourism in the Canary Islands: 8.69 million visitors in seven months

The Canary Islands have set a new tourism record, welcoming 8.69 million tourists in the first seven months of the year, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).

This marks the highest number of visitors ever recorded in this period, surpassing the previous record by more than half a million people. The previous record, set in 2017, saw 8.13 million tourists visiting the archipelago between January and July.

In July alone, the islands hosted 1.16 million international tourists, an 8.5% increase compared to the same month in 2023. This surge in visitors has also resulted in record-breaking tourism spending. In July, tourist spending reached €1.947 billion, bringing the cumulative total for the first seven months of the year to €13.025 billion, the highest ever recorded.

Interestingly, while overall spending has increased, the average amount spent per tourist has seen a slight decrease. Each tourist spent an average of €1,677 during their stay in July, 3.2% less than the previous year. This decline is largely attributed to shorter stays, which averaged 8.1 days in July—8.6% less than the previous year. However, daily spending per tourist actually increased by 5.9%, with each visitor spending an average of €207 per day.

The record-breaking influx of tourists and the corresponding rise in spending highlight the continued appeal of the Canary Islands as a top holiday destination in Europe.