The profile of visitors arriving in southern Gran Canaria is shifting towards a more sedentary lifestyle and a focus on comfort, but with surprisingly active local mobility. According to the latest data on average tourist spending, total expenditure has stabilized at €1.498 (just €8 more than the previous year), but it is in the "retail" spending where we find the most interesting trends of this season.
The most striking statistic on the ground is the collapse in international transport compared to the boom in local travel. While spending on flights has fallen by 5,09%, settling at €403,35—likely due to the greater availability of seats and competition from low-cost carriers—the budget allocated to getting around the island has skyrocketed by 22,03%. Tourists are now spending €102,10 on taxis, rental cars, and transfer services. In the south, this translates into a constant flow of people between Meloneras, Playa del Inglés, and Puerto de Mogán; visitors are no longer content with just lounging in a sunbed in front of their hotel, but are seeking the local experience, even if it means paying almost €20 more on average for transportation.
Accommodation remains by far the biggest expense for tourists, reaching €669,43. This 1,37% increase reflects the commitment of San Bartolomé de Tirajana's hotels to reposition themselves towards luxury and high-quality all-inclusive packages. Interestingly, this increased hotel spending seems to be cannibalizing other traditional expenses: food outside the hotel (restaurants and supermarkets) has fallen by 1,85%, settling at €221,60.
This data suggests that tourists in the south are preferring the safety and convenience of their resorts' restaurants to venturing out to stock their apartment refrigerators. The concept of "effortless vacations" is gaining ground, leaving local supermarkets with four euros less per tourist per stay.
On a more anecdotal note, the explosive growth of the "other tourist expenses" category stands out, having risen by an astonishing 45,36%. Although in absolute terms this is a small figure (just €8,46 compared to €5,82 the previous year), this increase reflects a shift in small consumption habits: from last-minute sunscreen purchases to tips or small charges for digital services and personalized experiences.
Leisure activities and the purchase of goods (souvenirs, fashion) maintain a modest but steady growth of between 3% and 4%. With €43,85 allocated to leisure and almost €50 to shopping, tourists in southern Gran Canaria remain predictable in their tastes: they prefer to spend twice as much on a good dinner or a quick transfer to the port as on a souvenir to take home. The final balance of €1.498 confirms that, although the budget isn't stretching much further, the way it's allocated has become more selective than ever.
