The Minister of Tourism of Gran Canaria, Carlos Álamo, made an assessment of the situation on the occasion of International Tourism Day, in which he highlighted the high level of tourist spending, the average stay, a lower dependence on the three large markets and a customer diversification
With the highest level of spending per tourist per day in the Canary Islands, the highest turnover in the sector in its history and a total of 2.432.479 clients between the months of January and July of this year, before the start of the winter season, and the expectation of reaching and exceeding 4,5 million clients in 2019 (2022 ended with 3.868.048 tourists), a pre-covid benchmark and the fourth best year in the sector, the Tourism Minister of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria valued the present of the tourism sector of Gran Canaria as positive.
The head of the Tourism area of the Cabildo of Gran Canaria carried out a balance and analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the current reality of the sector in Gran Canaria coinciding with the 44th edition of International Tourism Day. “The statistical summary presents a positive balance with a recovered sector, with a summer that surpasses 2019 in customer arrival numbers, the fourth best year. Now the winter season begins, we have historic connectivity and everything indicates that we will end the year among the best years in the history of tourism in Gran Canaria and the best, more than likely, in terms of turnover,” he noted.
In his summary, Álamo reviewed the data to highlight that Gran Canaria accounts for the presence of 2.432.479 tourist clients so far this year (not counting August); more than 14 million overnight stays, which is 18% more than in the same period of 2022 and “if we talk about domestic tourism more than one million overnight stays from the Canary Islands, 9,3% more than in 2022.” All this makes us the island with the most overnight stays for Canarians in the archipelago. Furthermore, its total expenditure represents a record figure of approximately 2000 million.
The counselor explained that the expenditure per client and person is the highest in the Canary Islands with a value of 1.409,46 euros per trip and total income from tourist accommodation of 905 million. The repeater rate is 74,76%, the occupancy percentage is 77,56% and we have 25% new clients. The average stay is 10,32 days. In addition, he highlighted that “we have 30% more global turnover and we have had months in which with less presence of tourists our turnover has been higher than that of other tourist islands.
Other interesting data offered includes that 82% of our clients spend more than 3 hours outside the hotel. “We have also made a notable effort to diversify customer markets, such that our dependence on all-inclusive customers has decreased. In the report for the second quarter of 2023, 51,44% of our clients used the tourist package, a concept that has been on a downward trend for years. In August 2019, before Covid, the percentage was 58%. Meanwhile, German, English and Spanish clients make up 53% of the total clients and countries, so our dependence on these markets is less,” explained Carlos Álamo.
The Minister of Tourism also analyzed the difficulties generated by the economic recession and the inflation process and made reference to the fall of priority markets for the sector such as Germany and the Nordics, due to their proximity to the War and the calls to contain tourism spending. their governments. This adversity, with the addition of the loss of tourist beds, was offset by the increase in quota from other countries and clients, with a result that is positive both in presence and in level of spending. In this sense, Álamo explained that Gran Canaria is an island that “aims to present itself to the world with values and an ethical commitment to its people and its territory. We do not bet on the number without considering what type of tourists come and the quality of the same, without studying what model or tourist package is the one that is contracted or if a client does not leave the hotel complex when asked for the bracelet and the whole including. We defend a tourism model that aims to have a positive impact on the quality of life of the Gran Canarian, that generates wealth and that it can reach all corners of the Island. To do this we need to go hand in hand, both the public and private sectors. "Since it is a formula that is giving very good results, it is not for nothing that we are in one of the best years in billing, if not the best."
Álamo pointed to the image problem generated by obsolete commercial spaces in the south of Gran Canaria and indicated that despite the absence of powers, they have been the only administration to get involved through an in-depth study of the situation and their possible interventions. “We will work hand in hand to find a solution together, especially when it comes to reaching an agreement with its owners,” said Álamo.
Álamo took advantage of the event to highlight “the enormous effort made by the staff of this house, the Department of Tourism of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, and the responsibility shown throughout the Covid event, from which I believe we have emerged stronger for the improvements made and above all for the image of a safe and prepared destination, a destination that knew how to lead with this entire episode without undermining its image, without any incident in its main sector and without seeing any of its tourist potential harmed."
The line developed by Turismo de Gran Canaria in recent years has prioritized the improvement of the destination, quality and sustainability, the diversification of markets with higher spending clients and the enhancement of its own products such as gastronomy or sports offers, with which to increase turnover, a bet that is already bearing fruit.
In addition, the counselor pointed out that in 2022 agreements were closed and the presence of 37 airline companies in Gran Canaria; Clients from 23 countries were received through direct routes with just over 100 cities.
Finally, the Gran Canaria Tourism team attended 33 specialized fairs in the sector, organized 42 press trips, that is, for journalists who visited Gran Canaria to write or talk about it in international media. “The effort has been notable since we have carried out countless promotional campaigns on social networks with the press, bloggers and influencers. Just like countless branding and promotion actions, such that we have doubled the number of actions compared to previous legislatures, with a higher budget in this section,” concluded the counselor.
“Gran Canaria's challenge is to reach 4,5 million customers. Overcoming this implies opening a debate on the limits of sustainability or capacity and we understand that it is better to put emphasis on increasing the spending and turnover of those that we can accommodate and that I already told you that it will be very difficult to match in years. coming, as this is the fourth best year in more than 50 years of history of the sector, concluded the counselor.
