The tourism sector in Gran Canaria is facing a silent, structural shift. Far from the post-pandemic euphoria, domestic visitor figures for 2025 reveal a deep rift in the main source market from the Iberian Peninsula. The iconic Maspalomas Dunes, once an irresistible draw for travelers from the Iberian Peninsula, has lost its dominance, precipitating a decline in interest that jeopardizes the tourism model of the island's south.
The figures, analyzed closely, leave no room for ambiguity. In the overall tally for 2025, the Maspalomas Dunes registered an attraction rate of 52,27% of all Spanish tourists. This figure represents a decline compared to the 54,85% recorded in 2024. While the year-on-year drop appears moderate at first glance, a detailed analysis by quarter reveals the true magnitude of the collapse, concentrated in the second half of the year.
The first quarter of 2025 showed signs of weakness with a 48,95% interest rate. After a slight seasonal recovery in the second quarter (51,63%) and a holiday peak in the third (62,72%), the fourth quarter of 2025 marked a dramatic turning point. During this period, the domestic market's visitor rate to the Dunes plummeted to 41,97%. This figure represents a loss of more than ten percentage points in market share in just three months and the lowest rating for this iconic location in the entire period analyzed.
This lack of interest is not an isolated phenomenon, but rather part of a general trend of declining mainland tourism to the south of the island. Puerto de Mogán, another of Gran Canaria's southern tourist strongholds, also saw its appeal to domestic tourists fall, dropping from 42,95% in 2024 to 42,13% in 2025, with a quarterly low of 34,35% in the last quarter. Meanwhile, alternative destinations such as the capital, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, have consolidated their position, remaining the most visited place by Spanish tourists in 2025 (69,06%), and even leading the preferences in the first quarter with 75,79%, absorbing some of the demand that previously sought the sun and beaches of the south.
The decline in interest in southern Gran Canaria from mainland tourists is due to multiple factors, including competition from other mainland and international destinations, price sensitivity in the face of inflation, and a shift in consumption patterns towards more urban or cultural experiences at the expense of the traditional mass-market sun and beach model. This paradigm shift is forcing local authorities and businesses to rethink their promotional and customer retention strategy for a key market that, at least in the case of Maspalomas, seems to be losing its traditional appeal.
