The tourist authorities of Gran Canaria are starting this November the promotion of the economic capital of the Canary Islands, Maspalomas, at the World Travel Market in London. Official sources said this October that 82% of British tourists come without children (in the version sent to the press it says that 18% come with children) and 61% come as a couple. At the same time, 69% are repeat visitors (in 2006 this figure was 70,55%). So far, so good, except when it has been said at meetings of the sector that the average age of British tourists who come to the south of Gran Canaria is "between 40 and 50 years old".
The Malaga Provincial Council, the leader of the British market in Spain, is clear about this market: "it is characterised by an average age that is (literally) over 50 years old." It is not a problem to say that it is a consolidated destination for pensioners in winter. Is it not the reason for the losses of the shopping centres in Playa del Inglés or San Agustín that the former young tourists are now outdated? Official data indicate that 41% are not entrepreneurs, that is, workers or pensioners. In the case of British civil servants, the average annual salary of a full-time civil servant of approximately 23.000 pounds sterling would be equivalent to about 26.680 euros, using an estimated exchange rate of 1 pound sterling = 1,16 euros.
Others who are really outdoing themselves are those from Tenerife. When comparing the economic capital of the Canary Islands with the destination that hosts the beach of Las Torviscas, as far as Regarding the profile of the British tourist, the average age is "49,9 years" and they point out that "their average income is 61.573 euros", average tourist expenditure per person is 1.301 euros and a repeat rate of 75,2 percent..
In any case, at this point and after nearly 70 years of tourism industry there is no exact or approximate and real data on the average age of this profile and the reasons why they choose to retain this market. The key that is not fully clear is: if this market is so repeatable, why is it so conservative in origin? The answer lies in the communities of owners that are in the hands of British people in the south of Gran Canaria as well as in establishments that have had their beds for decades with this segment of business that is safe: pensioners and that cannot improvise with the expense like the British civil servants.
And if we continue to delve into this figure of loyalty to the destination, we could reach conclusions: that the current British tourist has been doing so since he was 10 years old and came unaccompanied by his parents, which is impossible, or that the average age of the British tourist who comes to the economic capital of the Canary Islands is between 56 and 76 years old. In 2006, Turismo de Gran Canaria said that "the British client is loyal to Gran Canaria with a very high rate of repetition of 70,55%, this figure is even higher than the average for the Canary Islands, which is 66,69%".
In recent years, the official version says, the average age of British tourists visiting Gran Canaria has ranged from 40 to 50, with notable trends in age demographics linked to the popularity of Gran Canaria's beach resorts and senior accommodation. According to the most recent data, British tourists, one of the largest visitor groups to Gran Canaria, consistently prefer the island for both its warm climate and the variety of outdoor and leisure activities that cater to a wide age range, but remain popular.
In addition, the spending patterns of British tourists in Gran Canaria have been studied, highlighting that older visitors tend to spend more on leisure activities, restaurants and longer hotel stays compared to younger travellers, who may prioritise more affordable accommodation. This pattern supports a trend whereby Gran Canaria continues to attract a significant number of older British visitors.
