Despite anti-tourism protests held across the Canary Islands in 2024 UK visitor numbers to the archipelago increased, according to the latest visitor numbers.
A total of 15.5 million international tourists descended upon the Spanish islands in 2025, data from the Canary Islands government and airport passenger statistics reveal.
This was a 10 per cent increase from the previous year, equating to around 1.4million more foreign visitors, Canarian Weekly reports. This is roughly 120,000 tourists a month on average.
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Visitors from the UK made up over 40 per cent of all international arrivals. According to the figures, nearly 6.3million British tourists visited in 2024, making an increase of over half a million compared to 2023.
People Sunbathing on Playa Blanca, Puerto Del Carmen, Lanzarote -Credit:Getty Images
The number of British tourists is double that of German visitors, coming in at around 3 million tourists, the second-largest market.
Tenerife was the most popular destination within the islands, attracting more than 6.2million international visitors. Gran Canaria was the second-most popular with nearly 4 million international tourists. Lanzarote welcomed around 3 million international visitors, Fuerteventura 2.3million foreign tourists while La Palma recorded 120,000 visitors.
The figures come after a wave of anti-tourism sentiment swept through the islands and other Spanish destinations in 2024. Anti-tourism protests were held in the Canaries in April and again in October, with residents raising concerns about the impact of visitors on the environment and the housing market.
Canarian Weekly reports that José María Mañaricua, president of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas (FEHT), expressed concerns about the archipelago’s heavy reliance on British tourism. He cautioned that any downturn in this market could pose significant challenges.
But many across the islands are aware of how much they depend on tourism. More than 60,000 companies based in the Canary Islands have signed a ‘manifesto’ in defence of tourism, Europa Press reports.
The document “underlines the interconnected nature of tourism in the Canary Islands.” It acknowledges that tourism growth has coincided with a popular increase, putting pressure on infrastructure, housing and natural resources. But the supporters point out that “tourism is not only a crucial economic pillar, but can be an essential part of the solution to many of the problems facing the region.”
The signatories argue that responsible and sustainable tourism is key for the islands. The manifesto states: “The future lies in rational, sustainable and regenerative tourism, in which environmental impact and limited consumption of resources are cornerstones of the path to be taken in the coming years.”
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