The Canary Islands bucked Spain’s booming tourism trend in July, recording fewer international visitors and lower tourist spending while other holiday destinations across the country enjoyed significant growth.
Spain welcomed a record 11.5 million international tourists during July, who spent a combined €18.2 billion, an increase of 10.9% compared with the same month last year.
However, the picture was very different in the Canary Islands.
According to figures from Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE), 1,222,895 international tourists visited the Canary Islands in July 2026, representing a year-on-year decrease of 0.67%.
Although the decline in visitor numbers was relatively small, tourists were also spending slightly less during their holidays.
Tourists spent an average of €1,790
Average expenditure per international visitor in the Canary Islands stood at €1,790, down 0.65% compared with July 2025.
Combined with the slight reduction in visitor numbers, this resulted in total international tourist expenditure falling from €2.217 billion in July 2025 to €2.188 billion this July, a decrease of approximately 1.3%.
This means the islands saw declines across three key tourism indicators at the same time: international visitor numbers, average spending per tourist, and total tourist expenditure.
While the percentages are relatively modest, they stand out because other major Spanish tourist regions recorded increases in international arrivals.
Madrid and Andalucía see strong growth
The Balearic Islands recorded a small 0.12% increase in international visitors compared with July last year, while Cataluña saw growth of 0.78%.
Other regions performed considerably better.
International arrivals to Madrid increased by 11.03%, while Andalucía recorded growth of 9.5% and the Valencian Community saw an increase of 9.45%.
The contrast means the Canary Islands were the only major Spanish tourism region highlighted in the figures to experience a decline in both international visitor numbers and their overall spending during July.
What is behind the slowdown?
Several factors could be contributing to the change.
Tourism industry association Exceltur has previously highlighted weakness and volatility in some of the Canary Islands' most important source markets, particularly Germany.
The number of German tourists travelling to Spain has fluctuated significantly during 2026. Arrivals fell by 9% year-on-year in April before increasing by a similar amount in May.
German visitor numbers then fell by almost 6% in June before rebounding to register a 2.32% increase in July compared with the same month last year.
International uncertainty, higher fuel prices and inflationary pressures have also created a more unpredictable environment for European tourism and the aviation industry.
Is tourism in the Canary Islands actually falling?
The July figures should be viewed in context.
The Canary Islands have enjoyed exceptionally strong tourism figures over recent years, meaning current results are being compared against already high visitor numbers.
A 0.67% fall in international tourists for a single month does not, on its own, indicate a major downturn in the islands' tourism industry.
However, the fact that both visitor numbers and spending moved in the opposite direction to the Spanish national trend makes the July figures particularly noteworthy.
Capacity is another factor. The islands have experienced increasing pressure on infrastructure, including airports, after successive record-breaking tourism seasons.
Periods of extreme heat during the summer may also have affected demand, particularly when holidaymakers have numerous alternative Mediterranean and European destinations available.
For businesses and tourism authorities in the Canary Islands, the figures for the coming months will therefore be important in determining whether July was simply a temporary correction after years of strong growth or the beginning of a broader slowdown in international demand.
