The cleaning problems of the left-wing socialist bloc that governs in Las Palmas, where a declaration of a health emergency has been requestedThey're pulling the south of Gran Canaria along. The island arrives at the World Travel Market 2025 in London with the numbers in hand and a triumphant speech ready. The island's promotional experts have put together an agenda of 50 meetings scheduled at the Excel venue. The data seems to validate the public strategy: the British market has not only consolidated its position as the island's main customer base, but has also surpassed one million visitors in a single year for the first time.
Paradoxically, while average spending per visitor is moderating, the official narrative insists that the “moment remains positive.” In London, as expected, an image of stability and expansion is being projected, while in the offices of Westminster, financial analysts anticipate a drop in domestic consumption and inflation of 2,6% by the end of 2025, which could erode travelers' purchasing power.
The paradox is clear: Gran Canaria is celebrating in London what a segment of its population is beginning to question back home. British tourists, loyal even during a slowdown in their economy, have become the driving force behind a model that is already showing signs of saturation. The streets of the Canary Islands reflect economic success, but also the exhaustion of a territory that is starting to wonder where the limit lies.
Experts insist that demand "remains buoyant," but they acknowledge that much of this growth is driven by low-cost packages and flexible payment options. In other words, more visitors, but not necessarily more profit per tourist.
WTM is a platform for securing contracts, but also a mirror. And this year it reflects the contradiction of an island that, while celebrating records in London, is experiencing an increasingly heated debate within its borders about the true cost of tourism: loss of identity, rising housing prices, saturation of natural spaces, and structural dependence on a single economic model. Gran Canaria sells sun and beaches to the United Kingdom, but is beginning to search, in the shadows, for a place to breathe.
However, behind this apparent prosperity lies a paradox that calls for caution. Tourism experts acknowledge—though it's barely mentioned in official statements—that Gran Canaria's record performance is occurring against a backdrop of clear economic fragility in the United Kingdom. The British economy "seems stuck in first gear," with GDP growth of 1,3% artificially propped up by public spending, inflation at 3,7%, and business investment well below expectations.
Between January and August 2025, 721.956 British visitors traveled to Gran Canaria, just 2,46% more than in 2024. A positive figure, but one that is beginning to show signs of stabilization after years of explosive growth. The sector itself acknowledges that British tourists "no longer spend as much": they book off-season, look for cheaper flights, and shorten their stays. In other words, Gran Canaria is growing while the UK is slowing down. And this contradiction is what makes this edition of WTM a more strategic event than ever.
Official sources insist that “demand remains buoyant” and that no “imminent drop” in customers is detected. But this institutional optimism contrasts sharply with the indicators: a weakening pound, inflation eroding purchasing power, and a labor market that, while stable, is beginning to show signs of fatigue. Despite this, Britons are not giving up their week of sun in the Atlantic. They are, however, adopting a new consumption pattern: booking further in advance, adjusting their budgets, and opting for off-season travel. They are more prudent, less extravagant, but still loyal travelers. Gran Canaria's challenge will be maintaining this balance between the euphoria of record-breaking numbers and the reality of a British economy that is growing at a snail's pace. Because if the recent history of tourism in the Canary Islands teaches us anything, it's that no market is eternal, and cycles—like the tides—always eventually change.
