Gran Canaria loses ground on tourism spend

Posted by Canaries News on July 31st, 2012

Tourists have spent less money during their visits to the island of Gran Canaria. In the first half of 2012 the total spend has been €1,651 million, which is €56 million less than last year (2011) while on the island of Tenerife, there has been a significant increase of €203 million over last year brining the total spend o nthe isalnd to around €2,500 million.

Tenerifes figures are the highest in the Canary Islands and the difference between Tenerifes lead is getting bigger and bigger. In the first half of 2012 the island beat its historical high of 2011 accumulating nearly 2.2 million foreign and National tourists which is an increase of 100,000 over the same period last year (January – June). In the first 6 months of the year, Tenerife have received around 600,000 more tourists than the island of Gran Canaria while this islands visitor figures have dropped by around 33,000 when compared to last years figures.

Tourists have spent €2.426 million on their holidays in Tenerife so far this year (including travel and hotel) which means an increase of about €203 million in tourism revenue, representing a 9% increase in turnover of the island.

In Gran Canaria, the drop in tourist arrivals has resulted in a decrease in tourism spend, tourists have spent a total of €1,651 million on their holidays in the first six months of 2012, €56 million less than the same period last year, representing a decrease of 3.3%.

Spending on Lanzarote between April and June was €418 million a decrease of 4% year on year and in Fuerteventura the decrease was also 4% year on year at €372 million.

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Judith Smith

The problem with Gran Canaria is the perception from tourists in the UK. Maspalomas has a very bad reputation for young people (both straight and gay) doing things in the sand dunes families do not want their children to see. Gran Canaria and to some extent parts of Tenerife must decide if they want to be family places or hedonistic resorts. The hedonists always move on to other resorts around Europe when the ‘latest’ one becomes ‘unfashionable’. Families always want safe quiet places for their kids to holiday in peace. Older couples (who have the most spending power of all groups) are largely forgotten. Madeira for example has a very good set up for walking holidays, something the Canaries could attempt to do. Sitting on a poor struggling camel to reach the heights is no longer what tourists might want to see or do from now on. To only cater for the feckless hedonists can only end in tears in times of recession. Only the councils in these Islands can choose what they want for their resorts but a lot need to re-think strategies.
Neil

I agree with the last post. The youngsters who get drunk and run riot are deserting father away places as they can get cheap flights to mainland Spain and Portugal. These kids do not have the money any more to spend as the age of credit card and bank loan holidays is finished. Start looking after us oldies who want to visit but are put off by drunken idiots and have the cash in our pockets to go whenever and wherever we want. PS there are more over 50′s in the UK than any other age group and we have the most money to spend.