Canary tourism ends August with still very high figures, but with signs that the period of exceptional growth following the pandemic is coming to an end. Occupancy has remained this summer around 80%-85%, depending on the island, revenues continue to advance, and tourism employment is at historic levels. However, visitors and overnight stays are beginning to show a much more moderate evolution, and companies warn that billing more no longer necessarily means earning more.
The diagnosis shared by business representatives and the Government of the Canary Islands is that of a good summer, but more stable than expansive. José María Mañaricúa, president of the Federation of Hospitality and Tourism Entrepreneurs of Las Palmas (FEHT), defines it as a "good tourist year," while the deputy tourism counselor, José Manuel Sanabria, speaks of a "very good" season. Both focus on the increase in revenues and the strength of employment even in a context where the number of travelers is no longer growing at the pace of recent years.
More travelers, but fewer nights in July
The latest official data reflects this apparent contradiction. According to the Canary Islands Statistics Institute (ISTAC), 1.3 million travelers stayed in hotels and apartments in the Canary Islands during July, 0.7% more than a year earlier, but overnight stays decreased by 0.3%, to 8.9 million nights. Occupancy for rooms and apartments stood at 78.6%, with Lanzarote being the island with the highest rate.
Moderation had already been observed in June: travelers increased by 0.5%, but contracted nights fell by 1.8%, with a decline of 2.9% among foreign tourists. The data shows that the Canary Islands continue to attract visitors, although they tend to slightly reduce the duration of their vacations.
The exclusively hotel data from the INE offers another perspective on the same phenomenon. In July, the Canary Islands received 1.059 million travelers in hotels, 5% more year-on-year, while hotel overnight stays advanced by 2.39%. The differences with the ISTAC figures are explained because the latter also includes non-hotel accommodations.
Fewer stays, but more money
The main strength of summer lies in the income. Despite the slight decrease in overnight stays, hotels and apartments billed 507 million euros in July, 5.8% more than in 2025, while the average rate per occupied room reached 131.9 euros. In June, billing had already grown by 5.3%, up to 395 million.
The evolution of spending reinforces this trend. During the second quarter, tourists left in the Canary Islands 4.851 billion euros, 10.2% more than a year earlier, and the average daily expenditure increased from 157.9 to 181 euros per person. Tenerife concentrated 38.4% of the spending and Gran Canaria 24.4%.
Gran Canaria offers a particularly clear example. In the second quarter, it received 2.8% fewer visitors, but tourist billing increased by 0.48%, up to 1.185 billion euros, the highest volume recorded by the island for that period. The higher individual spending thus compensated for the reduction in tourists.
"The post-Covid champagne effect is ending"
The president of Ashotel, Jorge Marichal, introduces one of the main cautions. In statements collected this Sunday by Cadena SER, he states that "the post-Covid champagne effect is ending," a phrase he uses to describe the explosion of tourist demand that occurred after the health restrictions and that boosted travel, occupancy, and prices for several consecutive years.
The normalization is especially noticeable in the months that are traditionally weaker for the Canary Islands. May and June recorded less intense behavior, and summer began to recover afterward thanks, among other factors, to the growing weight of last-minute bookings. In the establishments associated with Ashotel in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, July ended with an occupancy of 80.38%, just one point below 2025 but well above the bookings that had been recorded a few weeks earlier.
Marichal believes that September will still have to confirm the final balance, although he expects positive results in most of the islands and a season similar to last year. One of the main weak points is the German market, which is performing worse than other major emitters, while domestic tourism has also not shown the same intensity as in previous summers.
Tourism employment reaches highs
The labor market is another of the positive indicators. In July, the hotel and non-hotel establishments counted by the ISTAC employed 76,719 workers, compared to the 74,510 registered in June. The regional government links this behavior to the general improvement of employment in the islands, while the employers' association highlights that the sector currently has more workers than ever.
Air traffic also remains at high levels. The Canary Islands airports managed 4.69 million passengers in July, 1.3% more than a year earlier. Domestic flights increased by 4.3%, reaching 2.22 million travelers, while international flights remained practically stable, with a decrease of 0.1%.
The problem: earning more and making less
The increase in billing is not being reflected in profits in the same way. Fernando Estany, vice president of the FEHT, explains that the occupancy accumulated until July was approximately one or two points below the previous year, although reservations recovered after the second quarter. His main warning is about costs: "We maintain revenues but costs have indeed risen a lot."
Energy, wages, food, supplies, and other business expenses have increased, so that higher hotel rates and greater tourist spending can coexist with a lower profitability. Estany precisely anticipates that the margins of the tourism business will be "considerably lower" this year.
Canary Islands enters a stage of normalization
The picture left at the end of August is, therefore, less of a new jump in the number of tourists than that of a destination established at historically very high levels that is starting to grow in a different way. Stays are stabilizing or slightly declining, but spending per traveler is increasing, billing is reaching highs in some territories, and employment maintains a notable strength.
The change of scenario now poses a new test for the main economic engine of the islands. After several years benefiting from the accumulated demand after the pandemic, Canarias must maintain income and employment without being able to rely on the number of visitors continuing to grow automatically each season. The summer of 2026 confirms that tourism remains strong; it also confirms that the so-called "champagne effect" is starting to lose strength and that the next battle will increasingly be about profitability, spending per visitor, and the ability to maintain competitiveness without depending on new records of arrivals.