Gran Canaria Tourism signs the sixth best year in its historical series

 

The statistics of the tourism sector in Gran Canaria in terms of the number of clients are close to the figures of the months prior to the appearance of the Coronavirus pandemic. Last November, the island tourist destination recorded the best monthly customer arrival data since the appearance of Covid, with the presence of 388.852 tourists, according to data published by Aena on Monday, January 9. And it surpassed the same in December with 380.930 foreign clients. Meanwhile, AENA published this Wednesday the passengers for December and the accumulated annual figure in which Gran Canaria, with 1,3% more customers than in December 2019, is already 3% percentage points away from matching the statistics prior to the appearance of the pandemic. . This is the sixth best year for the sector, almost reaching the 3.271 million of 2015, after the series between 2015 and 2019.

 

The total number of foreign passengers who landed in November was 340.043 people. 388.852 tourists, with the addition of nationals, according to data published by Aena on Monday, January 9, without reaching (-4%) the numbers of 2019. In December, 380.930 foreign passengers arrived, 153.340 passengers from the Peninsula and the Balearic Islands – with an increase of 1,4% compared to 2019 - and 111.000 canaries. The evolution of the sector also shows an improvement in relation to basic markets such as the English or Belgian markets, to a lesser extent, which are already positive for the year. Another market that stands out for its positive evolution is the French market, which has grown by 89% compared to the same month in 2019 and 38% compared to the accumulated annual figure. All in all, Gran Canaria closes the 2022 financial year with an increase in the income that clients generate on the island during their stay and whose average spending has grown by 16,7% with an average between January and September of 1.332,61 euros. 

 

The Minister of Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, analyzed this trend positively and highlighted that it is the fifth best year in the history of tourism in Gran Canaria, behind the series between 2016 and 2019. “It is an evolution that "We would all have signed at the beginning of the year, when negative news was accumulating such as the increase in inflation, the energy crisis and the war episode in Ukraine that affected the Nordics and Germans, our main clients, to a greater extent," he assured, before pointing out that although we are still below the pre-pandemic reference, “the truth is that the improvement of the product and the offer has led to higher income with fewer tourists.” 

 

 

“We have more air seats, more routes and better direct connections with the main European cities. We have improved the destination through the renewal of the tourist infrastructure, although some commercial spaces in the south of Gran Canaria need to be improved, and we try to compensate for the difficulties that arise in certain markets, motivated by the uncertainty of the social and economic panorama in the north of Europe and the economic difficulties, with the increase of others: such as the French, Belgians, Italians and Dutch who are behaving in a particularly positive way,” said Carlos Álamo, Tourism Minister of Gran Canaria. “All in all, the product has improved and the client is willing to spend more money on the island, both in accommodation, in gastronomy, which is fashionable, and in the cultural, sports and leisure activities that our offer offers. tour. Therefore, being close to the 2019 numbers, we do not obsess over the quantity and we do put more effort into improving the destination and the income derived from customer spending on the island,” he added.