British tourists heading to the Canaries received a major boost after a sudden drop in hotel prices. The islands are a popular destination for holidaying Brits, attracting nearly 6.3 million last year, up over half a million on 2023.
This figure is double that of German visitors, the second-largest market, which brought nearly 3 million tourists. The latest data shows that hotel accommodation in the Canaries is becoming cheaper – news that will be manna from heaven for those on a tight budget.
A survey carried out by Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) showed that the average price paid per occupied hotel room (ADR) in May fell by 2% to €116.13 per night, compared to the same month last year.
In further good news, the average revenue per available room (RevPAR) – another key indicator for the hotel sector – also dipped by 3% year-on-year to €85.96.
The fall in prices is being partly attributed to a slight decrease in hotel occupancy rates in May, which stood at 60.9%, down from 61.7% the previous year.
The early Easter holidays could well have impacted tourist numbers in May, which is part of the quieter shoulder season.
However, industry officials are confident of another bumper year, once the summer season gets under way.
The Canary Islands are just one of the popular holiday spots in Spain, where locals have been staging huge anti-tourism protests. Protestors attending a huge rally back in May told Express they wanted Brits to “stay away” from the archipelago.
The agency Turismo de Islas Canarias noted that the number of seats on scheduled flights to the archipelago is up 8.4% compared to last summer.
This growth is spread across most islands, with Fuerteventura seeing the largest increase in air capacity (up 17%), followed by Gran Canaria (9.5%), Tenerife (6.5%), and Lanzarote (6.3%)
Despite boasting many luxury resorts, the islands are surprisingly affordable and offer options for all budgets.
The most budget-friendly islands in the Canaries are the biggest and most popular, according to travelsupermarket.com
Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura all offer plenty of good-value package holiday deals and have a wider range of accommodation options than their smaller neighbours.
These destinations are also all easy to get to, with plenty of flights leaving from the UK with low-cost carriers such as easyJet, Vueling and Ryanair.
Those travelling to Tenerife should avoid the upmarket resorts on the Costa Adeje and Los Cristianos.
The relaxed resorts of Los Gigantes, Puerto de Santiago and Puerto de la Cruz offer great value for money alternatives.
It comes as Lanzarote issued a stark warning to certain kinds of tourists not to bother visiting the hotspot this summer. In its ambitious new campaign aimed at transforming how both visitors and residents treat the island, it has sent a clear message that “We don’t want just any tourist.”