Summer 2025 is drawing to a close, leaving a mixed picture of tourism in Gran Canaria, but the negative data cannot be ignored. Despite an overall increase in tourists, several indicators show warning signs that could affect the season and the sustainability of the sector. The main reason for stay remains vacation, recreation, and leisure, with 95% of tourists, but this figure falls 2,05 percentage points compared to July 2024. Travelers are concentrating on short stays: 59,98% stay between 1 and 7 nights, while the use of package tours falls 5,68 percentage points, leaving 53,57% of bookings. This suggests that visitors are seeking more autonomy or that the package market is losing appeal, a worrying sign for agencies and operators.
In the labor market, the decline is more evident. Unemployment in tourism fell from 12.922 to 12.153, but the year-on-year change indicates a -5,95%, while the total number of contracts grew by only 4,74% to 10.387. Although this may seem positive, the combination of limited contracts and a drop in unemployment reflects that many workers remain in precarious or short-term temporary jobs, far from solid stability.
Among source markets, some countries show signs of decline. France lost 257 tourists compared to last year (-1,82%) and accumulated a year-to-date drop of -5.018 (-5,19%). Ireland also declined, with -778 tourists in July (-7,37%) and -3.392 total (-4,50%). Other traditional markets, such as Sweden and Luxembourg, showed similar declines in passenger arrivals to the island, highlighting the loss of market share in certain European segments. The average stay of visitors fell by 2,70% to 6,86 nights in July, and the average stay of Canarian residents staying on the island decreased by 10,89%. Overnight stays by local residents fell by 17,68%, reflecting lower internal mobility and lower domestic tourism consumption.
