Gran Canaria tourism rises 6.24% in 2010

According to Roberto Moreno (Tourism, Gran Canaria council), Gran Canaria has seen a rise in tourism of 6.24% in 2010 (compared to similar figures from 2009), receiving a total of 3.3 million passengers despite the volcanic ash cloud and the air traffic controllers strike. He went on to say that this increase was above the national average and that this increase could have been up to 8% if it hadn’t been affected by the ash cloud and mass walk out in December. He is positive about the continued growth in tourism after, in his words, a ‘horrible’ 2009.