Canary Islands see drop in Holiday Let stays: More tourists, but shorter stays
The Canary Islands received more visitors to tourist apartments (holiday lets) in March, but they stayed for fewer nights, leading to an overall drop in overnight stays, according to new figures released by the INE. Overnight stays in holiday apartments across the islands fell by 7.1% in March compared to the same month in 2025.
During March 2026, a total of 322,005 people stayed in tourist apartments in the Canary Islands, up from 306,724 a year earlier, an increase of 15,281 visitors. In total, apartments recorded 2,352,011 overnight stays, despite a 4.98% increase in the number of holidaymakers.
However, the average length of stay dropped noticeably. In March 2025, visitors stayed an average of 8.21 nights. This year, that figure fell to 7.30 nights. In simple terms, more people came, but they didn’t stay as long.
International Market Drives the Decline
International tourists, who make up the bulk of apartment guests in the islands, were the main factor behind the fall in total nights.
The number of overseas visitors rose from 278,851 in March 2025 to 288,823 this year. But their overnight stays dropped sharply, from 2,407,425 to 2,225,467.
That reduction explains most of the overall decline in nights recorded across the archipelago.
Spanish Visitors Show Growth
By contrast, the domestic market performed strongly. The number of Spanish residents staying in tourist apartments increased from 27,874 to 33,182 year-on-year. Their overnight stays also rose, from 109,999 to 126,544.
However, the domestic growth was not enough to offset the reduction in foreign visitor stays.
How Does It Compare to Spain Overall?
Nationally, Spain recorded a 1.1% increase in total overnight stays in tourist apartments in March.
Across the country, the average length of stay fell by 10%, and foreign visitor nights dropped by 2.9%. However, domestic tourism across Spain surged, with overnight stays by Spanish residents rising by 17.1% — enough to push the national figures into positive territory.
In contrast, the Canary Islands were unable to compensate for the shorter stays by international visitors.
Slight Drop in Occupancy — Despite Fewer Apartments
The INE’s latest survey of non-hotel tourist accommodation also shows a slight dip in occupancy rates in the Canary Islands.
The occupancy rate by available beds fell from 56.02% in March 2025 to 55.21% in March 2026.
This decline occurred even though the number of available apartment places fell from 141,726 to 137,080 over the past year.
Employment Still Rising
Despite the fall in overnight stays and occupancy levels, employment in the tourist apartment sector actually increased.
In March 2026, the sector employed 12,876 people, compared with 12,680 a year earlier — an increase of 196 jobs.
The latest data paints a mixed picture for the Canary Islands: strong visitor numbers, particularly from abroad, but shorter stays and fewer accumulated nights — a key indicator for tourism revenue in the region.
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