The President of the Island Council, Antonio Morales, and the Tourism Councillor, Carlos Álamo, are leading the island's presence at the country's main tourism fair and one of the most important in Europe. Gran Canaria aims to highlight its commitment to a moderate growth model that prioritizes revenue over other factors such as tourist arrivals, as well as the renewed commitment of its municipalities.
The Gran Canaria Island Council is participating this week in the International Tourism Fair in Madrid, FITUR 2026, with a delegation of technical professionals from the Department of Tourism and the Presidency, headed by the President of the Island Council, Antonio Morales, and the Councilor for Tourism, Carlos Álamo. The island destination is attending the leading event for the national tourism industry with the aim of consolidating the sector's excellent performance, particularly in the mainland market, which has once again positioned itself as a key driver of tourism growth and increased spending in 2025.
Gran Canaria is presenting itself at FITUR after closing one of its best years ever for domestic tourism, with more than 534.800 visitors from mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands through November 2025. This figure confirms the recovery and strengthening of a strategic market, which currently ranks fourth among the island's main tourist destinations. With €320 million already recorded (December revenue still pending), spending by these tourists exceeded €319 million, the highest figure ever achieved by the mainland market on the island in 2019, consolidating a sustained growth trend in both volume and revenue.
The destination arrives at Spain's most important travel fair and one of the most relevant in Europe, backed by consolidated connectivity that has withstood the loss of seats resulting from Ryanair's departure from some Spanish airports and reductions at others. The market itself has compensated for these losses, thanks to the commitment of Binter Canarias and Vueling, along with Iberia Express, with a particular focus on Madrid and Barcelona. Binter Canarias is increasing its seat capacity by 35% and Vueling by 22%. By 2025, the number of seats to the Spanish mainland had practically doubled compared to 2019 figures, facilitating access to the destination from almost all of Spain. Vueling leads the ranking in terms of the number of seats, followed by Iberia Express, with Binter in third place. Looking ahead to the 2026 summer season, figures are expected to be similar, with 863.986 seats available between June, July, August, and September, representing a 2,5% decrease compared to the current situation. The Gran Canaria Tourism Board is confident that other airlines will enter the market during the summer period, which is when the destination has room for growth.
The Gran Canaria Island Council's Department of Tourism anticipates that 2025 will close with record-breaking tourism revenue figures, surpassing those recorded in 2024. This growth is based on a model focused on increasing spending per visitor, rather than simply increasing the number of tourists. This was highlighted by Councilor Carlos Álamo, who emphasized the strength of the mainland market and its capacity to generate greater added value for the destination. "We arrive at this new edition of Fitur with the opportunity to confirm the sector's current strength, especially with regard to the summer season," he stated.
Álamo explained that, with current occupancy levels, the potential for growth is concentrated primarily in the summer months, which is helping to reduce seasonality and allowing for consistent tourist activity throughout the year. In this regard, he emphasized that hotel occupancy rates have remained very high throughout 2025, exceeding 90% in several months, reflecting strong and sustained demand.
The councilor placed particular emphasis on improving the tourism offerings and complementary products as key factors in the destination's strong performance. Gran Canaria is positioning itself as a multi-product destination, with offerings that go beyond the traditional sun and sand, allowing it to increase revenue without requiring exponential growth in visitor numbers. Gastronomy, local and seasonal products, along with the renewal of leisure activities, are decisively contributing to raising average spending, as is the island's consolidation as an attractive destination for sports and active tourism.
The tourism strategy remains aligned with a sustainable growth model, based on diversifying the offerings, territorial decentralization, continuous product improvement, and a promotional positioning focused on local values and sustainability—aspects increasingly valued by domestic tourists. These lines of action have strengthened Gran Canaria's competitiveness as an innovative, high-quality destination. Álamo pointed out that this approach is fostering a more balanced distribution of tourism benefits, as demonstrated by the fact that non-tourist municipalities are currently generating 66% more revenue than in 2019.
In this context, Gran Canaria's presence at FITUR 2026 will serve to showcase the progress achieved in recent years and confirm the continued positive trend in the mainland market, with favorable prospects for the coming years. The Tourism Department also points to a more stable macroeconomic environment, characterized by moderate inflation and economic growth, factors that support the consolidation of domestic travel.
Gran Canaria will have its own program of presentations in the space provided for the second consecutive year by Promotour Islas Canarias. During the 45-minute presentation scheduled for Thursday, January 22, starting at 1:30 p.m., the focus will be on complementary offerings, with a special emphasis on cultural, sporting, and municipal events. Initiatives such as the 50th anniversary of the Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Carnival, festivals like Womex and Sonora, sporting events such as the Transgrancanaria, the almond blossom festival in Tejeda, and infrastructure improvements in Mogán will be part of the program, along with other events such as Granca Live, the Binter Night Run, and the offerings at the Scala theater.
However, some of the program may be subject to change due to the national mourning period declared for the train accident in Andalusia. Álamo emphasized that the island's 21 municipalities will once again play a prominent role, showcasing their main attractions related to leisure, gastronomy, culture, sports, and natural heritage, with activities available year-round.
