The boom in tourism has boosted employment and revenues in the Canary Islands

The Canary Islands are experiencing a tourism boom with substantial increases in both tourist arrival numbers and overnight stays, resulting in a huge boost to employment and turnover in the region, as reported by the Ministry of Tourism and Employment.

During the first half of this year, the islands had more than 6.5 million visitors, a year-on-year increase of 14% over 2022. Notably, the number of international tourists grew by 16.5%, followed by national tourists (from Spain) at 6.7%, and Canary Island residents at 1.6%.

The surge in tourism is not only reflected in the number of visitors but also in their overnight stays, which have increased by 16.6% compared to the first six months of last year.

The Minister of Tourism and Employment for the Canary Islands Government, Jessica de León, has emphasized that the vital recovery of the tourist industry continues to generate more wealth and better job opportunities while preserving the islands’ unique environmental resources sustainably.

Employment in the sector has grown significantly, with a 25.6% increase in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2022, amounting to 267,975 people working in tourism-related industries. Social Security enrollment rose by 4.3% in June with 35,809 new jobs being created compared to the previous year, with higher growth in activities directly related to tourism such as hotels and catering, travel agencies, and excursions, at 7.9%.

Tourism expenditure has also seen a large increase, reaching 5.3 billion euros in the first quarter, a massive 50.4% increase compared to the same period of 2022, although part of this is down to higher inflation rates.

 Average spending by tourists rose to €168.52 a day, an increase of 39.2% compared to the first three months of 2019 while spending per trip reached €1,432 (+44.5%).

Jessica de León added that tourism is an integral part of the archipelago’s identity and intends to focus on it not only from an economic perspective, as it contributes 33% to GDP and accounts for 36.5% of total employment, but also as a platform to showcase the islands traditions, unique landscapes, and rich cultural, natural, and gastronomic heritage.