Tourists heading to the Canary Islands this month have been issued a warning. September is a popular month to go on holiday as the weather is still good and the busy crowds of the summer holidays have dispersed.
However, it has become an increasingly expensive time to go abroad due to a rise in demand. The Canary Islands, including Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria, is the most recent destination to be hit with price hikes. The shift marks a change in travel habits, with more and more tourists opting to head away for a later summer holiday.
As reported by Canarian Weekly, the latest figures from Spain’s National Institute of Statistics (INE) show that both accomodation prices and daily expenditure have increased across the islands in September.
In terms of spending, the INE data shows that visitors to the Canary islands spent an average of €1,423 (£1,238) per person in September 2024, €138 (£120) more than in 2019. Meanwhile, daily expenditure increased from €150 (£130) in 2019 to €188 (£163.50) in 2024, an increase of almost €40 (£35) per day.
The figures also show that hotel and apartment prices across the Canary Islands increased by 5.3% between September 2023 and September 2024. Accomodation last September was 25% more expensive than in 2019, with this trend set to continue this year.
The trend is not just limited to the Canary Islands. According to eBooking.com, the average price of accomodation in the whole of Spain last September was €132 (£115) per night, a 21% rise on the year before.
The increase in costs come as more Spaniards also choose to take their holidays in September. The month is often quieter with far less crowds in the most popular areas.
A recent survey from the National Observatory of Outbound Tourism showed that around 17% of Spanish people are now going away in September. This equates to around one in six locals.
As well as being quieter in September, the Canary Islands benefit from still being warm and sunny in the early autumn period. The days remain long, which makes the evenings ideal for dining or relaxing outdoors.
