The Tourism Minister, Carlos Álamo, stated that the first day of the meeting with German clients, currently second in volume and revenue, concluded with positive feelings, confirming a similar performance in 2026, despite the uncertainty of the international scene.
Gran Canaria is directly connected to 19 German airports and has a 2,1% increase in connectivity for next summer
Gran Canaria completed the first day of ITB 2026 on Tuesday, March 3rd. ITB is the leading tourism trade fair for the German market, held in Berlin from March 3rd to 5th. According to Tourism Councillor Carlos Álamo, the island's "positive feelings" stem from the goal of consolidating its position as the preferred destination for German tourists in the Canary Islands and one of the top international destinations. Álamo noted that "we aim to strengthen one of the fundamental pillars of the island's tourism economy, as it generates 20% of the total revenue for the island's tourism sector. In this regard, we are experiencing significant growth among young people and the LGBTQ+ community, who are known for their high purchasing power, loyalty to the destination, and preference for freedom and a warm climate."
The councilor highlighted the level of meetings held during a first day that was “intense and normal, within the key aspects of a fair of strategic importance for Gran Canaria and where we have confirmed that, despite the uncertainty that prevails at this time on the international scene, we are confident that the good moment of the German market with the island destination will continue with the same dynamic during 2026.”
The Gran Canaria tourist destination was presented at the Berlin event at a particularly positive time for this market, after closing 2025 as the fourth best year on record in terms of arrival volume and the second best in revenue. The Gran Canaria delegation, headed by the Minister of Tourism, Carlos Álamo, is attending the event with an agenda of 46 professional meetings, focused on strengthening air connectivity, increasing capacity for summer 2026, and promoting a renewed, sustainable offering linked to sports, nature, gastronomy, and active tourism.
The island destination boasts direct routes to 12 German cities and 19 airports. Condor leads in passenger volume with 30,76% of the market. It is followed by Lufthansa, with 28,41%, and TUI with 21,81%. Further behind are airlines such as Ryanair, with 8,74% of the German market; Sundair (3,01%), Corendon (2,83%), EasyJet (2,47%), and other airlines with 1,97%. Together, they handled 961.231 passengers arriving in Gran Canaria. This represents an increase of 5,21% compared to 2024 and 9,42% compared to 2019.
Looking ahead to summer, a positive forecast is in place, confirmed at ITB Berlin. For the period between May and July, the island has 169.155 confirmed seats from Germany. This represents a 2.8% increase compared to the 164.589 seats offered in 2025. For August, September, and October, the forecast is 179.219 seats, with a year-on-year increase of 0.8%. Overall, German connectivity to the island destination shows a slight contraction this winter and is projected to increase by 2,1% for the summer of 2026. The Canary Islands as a whole show the opposite trend, with a decrease of 5,1%.
Among the main new developments are new routes from Coredon and Sundair. Coredon will also fly to the island from Nuremberg, Hanover, and Cologne. Meanwhile, Sundair is adding flights from Bremen and Dresden to its network. However, both airlines will cease operations from Münster, Baden-Baden, and Memmingen. Cologne, Berlin, Hanover, and Nuremberg airports are gaining capacity.
Councilor Carlos Álamo highlighted the difficulty of maintaining positive growth while other destinations are experiencing a decline in connectivity. “It's important to note that Germany has not yet recovered its pre-Covid departure levels. They remain at 88% of what they were before. However, Gran Canaria has 12% more available capacity compared to 2019.”
These results come against a backdrop of political and financial uncertainty in Germany, restrained spending, and the fact that the country has not yet fully recovered its pre-pandemic travel volume. Despite this, German tourists remain loyal to Gran Canaria: 66% are repeat visitors, demonstrating a high level of satisfaction and connection with the destination.
“The German market is smaller in size, but extremely loyal and profitable. We are the island that best maintains the volume and revenue of this market. Furthermore, we are achieving a generational shift with the incorporation of new profiles seeking different experiences,” the Tourism Councillor emphasized.
One of the most relevant data points for the island destination is the growth of the youth segment, as the 16-32 age group now represents 22% of German visitors, reflecting a progressive market renewal. “This is a highly significant figure, and we are making a considerable effort to address it, offering a multi-product range designed to attract this clientele. The increased presence of young people has slightly reduced the length of stay, revenue, and repeat visitor numbers. However, it is considered highly valuable in the medium and long term, so what we are doing is rejuvenating our main customer base—our most loyal and highest spenders on the island.”
Furthermore, a greater diversification of motivations is observed. Island gastronomy is emerging strongly, highlighted by 38% of German tourists as one of their main interests. Alongside this, active tourism, nature, and the appeal of the island's interior are gaining prominence.
Looking ahead to summer 2026, the indicators are very positive. “Our technicians and specialists point to an impact from the German market, with a 14% increase in early bookings made in October and November for all destinations. Given that Gran Canaria is one of the most popular destinations for German tourists, second only to Mallorca in Spain, this allows us to anticipate a strong season,” Álamo concluded.
Gran Canaria's presence at ITB Berlin was divided between the Canary Islands pavilion and the LGBTQ+ area. This community is estimated to represent 10% of total arrivals to Germany. The island participates in this segment as one of the leading destinations in the Spanish Network of Destinations for Diversity (REDD), which strengthens the island's strategic plan and consolidates relationships with tour operators and airlines in a market that has historically been of great importance to the island's economy. REDD promotes innovative practices that position its destinations as leaders in the sector. Its approach is based on creating strategic alliances, offering specialized training, and managing an interactive digital platform. In this way, REDD contributes to developing more open, safe, and competitive destinations, where diversity becomes a source of cultural enrichment and shared progress.
Finally, it's worth noting that Gran Canaria received 918.818 German tourists in 2025, representing a 5,41% year-on-year increase compared to 2024 (903.023 visitors). Three out of every ten German tourists who traveled to the Canary Islands chose this island. Furthermore, it is one of the top international destinations for Germans. Spain receives the most German visitors, and the Canary Islands, after the Balearic Islands, are the most popular destination for this nationality.
This result places 2025 as the fourth best year on record, surpassed only by 2017 (1.011.968 arrivals, an all-time record), 2018 (978.759), and 2016 (959.211). In economic terms, the German market generated a total of €1.342.032.877 in 2025, the second-best figure on record, second only to the record of 2024 (€1.370.058.379). This figure represents 20% of the destination's total revenue, consolidating its position as one of the main drivers of tourism wealth on the island.
The average expenditure per tourist per trip is €1.602,65, significantly higher than the overall average for the destination (€1.438,58). Furthermore, German tourists stand out for their long average stay of 10,68 days, placing them among the markets with the longest stays.
