Canary Islands Shatter Tourism Records in 2025
The Canary Islands are experiencing an unprecedented tourism boom in 2025, surpassing even last year’s record-breaking numbers. With 6.8 million international visitors in the first five months alone—a 4.1% increase over 2024—the archipelago continues to solidify its status as a top global destination.
Record-Breaking Visitor Numbers
In May 2025 alone, the islands welcomed 1.1 million international tourists, a 3.7% rise compared to the same period last year. This surge contributes to the cumulative total of 6.8 million visitors from January to May, marking a 277,230 increase over 2024. The growth mirrors 2024’s historic annual record of 15.2 million foreign tourists, which itself was a 9.1% jump from the previous year.
Tourist Spending Soars
Visitor spending is growing even faster than arrivals, with a staggering 13.4% increase in the first five months of 2025. Tourists spent €10.9 billion during this period—a new all-time high for the islands—accounting for 22.1% of Spain’s total tourism revenue. Despite a slight dip in average stay duration, higher daily spending per tourist fueled this growth, with May alone seeing €1.5 billion in expenditures.
Leading the Spanish Tourism Market
The Canary Islands rank second among Spain’s autonomous regions for foreign visitor growth (4.1%), trailing only Andalusia (9.6%). In absolute terms, the archipelago is Spain’s second-most-visited destination, with 6.8 million tourists—just behind Catalonia (7.3 million) and ahead of Andalusia (5.4 million). Nationwide, Spain welcomed 35 million international visitors in this period, a 5.5% increase.
Top Source Markets
The UK remains the Canaries’ largest market, contributing nearly 40% of visitors, followed by Germany (20%) and other EU nations. Across Spain, the UK also leads with 6.8 million tourists (+6.9%), followed by France (4.6 million, +3.9%) and Germany (4.5 million, +1.8%). The islands’ appeal to European travelers shows no signs of slowing, with steady growth across key markets.
