Blow for protesters as Canary Islands break their all-time tourism record

Protests demanding tourism "degrowth" in one of Spain's most popular holiday destinations appear to have had little effect on the industry as June saw the highest-ever number of international visitors, new data has revealed. This year, the Canary Islands recorded a staggering 1.08 million tourists - a 3.15% increase on June 2024, according to the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

This record-breaking month helped push the total number of international arrivals in the first half of 2025 to 7.84 million, an increase of 4% compared to the same period last year. Spending is also up significantly, with international visitors contributing €1.56 billion (£1.4 billion) to the Canarian economy in June alone, almost 8.5% more than last year. On average, each visitor spent €190 (£166) per day and stayed for 7.6 days, bringing the average spend per person to €1,447 (£1,263), which is up 5.2% year-on-year.

The figures paint a similar picture across Spain. Overall, the country welcomed 44.5 million tourists in the first six months of 2025 - up 4.7% - with the Canary Islands ranking as the second most visited region, behind only Catalonia in the northeast with 9.3 million visitors.

The Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza took the top spot for June alone, attracting nearly 24% of all international tourists, followed by Catalonia (21%), Andalusia (15%) and the Canary Islands.

In terms of total tourist spending in the first half of the year, the Canary Islands lead with €11.87 billion (£10.4 billion), representing 19.9% of all international tourist spending in Spain, more than any other region.

However, across the country, tourists are spending less time in Spain, with the average stay dropping to 6.6 days (down 2.8%). That being said, visitors are spending more money, with the average daily spend reaching €209, a 6.5% increase from last year. This follows the trend of higher-value tourism since the pandemic.

The UK continues to be Spain’s top source of tourists, with nearly nine million Britons visiting so far this year (a 5.2% rise), followed by Germany (5.7 million) and France (5.6 million). Britons also account for the highest spending, making up 17.6% of all international tourist spending in Spain.

Hotels remain the most popular form of accommodation, welcoming 28.7 million tourists across Spain. However, in a blow for authorities trying to grasp the out-of-control holiday rental market, which is contributing to the housing affordability crisis in Spain, stays in these types of accommodation through sites like Airbnb are growing fast. Rental stays increased by 10%, while stays in second homes and family/friends’ houses also rose notably.

In May, the Spanish government demanded that Airbnb remove nearly 66,000 listings due to violations of housing laws. These listings are accused of lacking proper registration or license numbers, failing to disclose whether the owner is an individual or a company, or providing inaccurate information. Airbnb appealed the government's decision, but this was rejected by a Spanish court in June.