Tourist numbers in Lanzarote keep rising as Island President praises ‘controlled growth’
Lanzarote closed 2025 with 3.45 million visitors, a 1.4% increase on the previous year, according to data from the Canary Islands Institute of Statistics (Istac) released by the Lanzarote Cabildo. While the island continues to set new tourism records, its president, Oswaldo Betancort, insists this represents “contained growth” and a more sustainable path for the destination.
Under Betancort’s administration, new licences for hotels, apartment complexes, and tourist developments have continued to be approved. Meanwhile, a previous proposal by former island president Dolores Corujo to declare Lanzarote a “saturated” tourism destination has been shelved.
During this same period, the number of holiday rentals has doubled in less than three years.
Growth framed as “containment”
Lanzarote received 3,455,200 tourists in 2025, compared to 3,406,911 the year before, an increase that Betancort describes as evidence of “tourism growth containment”, positioning Lanzarote as the island with the lowest increase in the archipelago. By comparison, Fuerteventura grew by over 7%, Gran Canaria by around 3%, and Tenerife by 2.5%.
Despite the steady rise in arrivals, Betancort maintains that Lanzarote is “moving in the right direction”, prioritising sustainability, quality, and balance between visitors and territory. However, he has not specified which policies are delivering this “containment”, particularly as both visitor numbers and tourist accommodation continue to increase. For the president, “growing below the regional average” is a strength that shows the island is pursuing a more balanced model.
Spending reaches historic highs
The most recent available data on tourist spending, covering the third quarter of 2025, shows visitors spent around €190 per person per day, the highest figure ever recorded both for Lanzarote and the Canary Islands.
Héctor Fernández, CEO of SPEL–Turismo Lanzarote, highlighted that although growth in visitor numbers is modest, the island is seeing a clear improvement in profitability. “Lanzarote maintains a balanced evolution, with greater economic contribution per visitor and a more qualified positioning,” he said.
He also pointed to a strong recovery in the Spanish market, solid performance from British, Irish, and Italian travellers, and successful diversification efforts, although the German market continues to be a concern.
UK market remains key
In 2025, Lanzarote welcomed 1,685,496 visitors from the UK, a 0.9% increase. Arrivals from Ireland rose by 7.4%, and Italy by 5.4%. In contrast, German tourism dropped by 3.2%, with 259,517 visitors compared to 268,077 the previous year.
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