4.36 million international visitors went to the Canary Islands between January and April (Photo: UN Tourism)
According to official figures released by Canary Islands National Statistics Institute (INE) tourism to Canary Islands, a Spanish archipelago off the coast of north western Africa, increased by 2.1 pc over the first quarter of 2025, with “record-breaking” numbers of arrivals.
The report adds that this increase comes despite widespread anti-tourism protests by locals who say the islands’ popularity causes crowding and places a burden on scarce resources.
Also read: Spain sees record airline capacity in summer 2025: OAG
About 4.36 million international visitors went to the islands between January and April. Over 1.55 million tourists went in March alone.
According to INE, the United Kingdom has emerged as the biggest source market and accounts for over 40 pc of international arrivals. Tenerife is the preferred destination, followed by Gran Canaria.
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Meanwhile, INE says total tourist expenditure reached EUR 6.86 billion in the quarter, a 5.46 pc rise year-on-year, which is more than double the increased rate of arrivals, a key indicator of inflation, according to industry experts.
The report adds that according to the locals, years of mass tourism have taken their toll on the islands’ environment and anti-tourism protests are now frequent, with some graffiti and signs calling for violence. Water scarcity is a particular concern but so are pay and conditions in a hospitality sector that has seen 80,000 workers take mass industrial action across the territory already this year.
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