In September, the Canary Islands welcomed 1.1 million international tourists, marking a 7.8% rise compared to the same period last year, as reported by the National Statistics Institute (INE). Tourist expenditure for the month also saw an increase, reaching 1,573 million euros—up by 8.7% year-on-year.
For the year so far, the Canary Islands have hosted 10.9 million visitors, a 10% annual growth. Spending per tourist in September averaged 1,423 euros, up by 0.9% from the previous year, with a daily average expenditure of 188 euros (a 3.6% increase) and a typical trip length of 7.6 days.
Across Spain, the first nine months of 2024 saw a record-breaking 73.9 million international arrivals, an increase of 10.9% compared to the same period in 2023. Total spending from these tourists surged by 16.9%, reaching 99,086 million euros. September alone recorded 9.6 million international tourists (a 9.1% increase from last year), with tourist spending rising by 12.7% to 12,615 million euros. The average expenditure per tourist in Spain for September was 1,315 euros (up by 3.3%), and the daily expenditure increased by 3.8% to 195 euros.

The top three origin countries for visitors to Spain in 2024 have been the United Kingdom (over 14.7 million tourists, a 7.4% increase), France (nearly 10.3 million tourists, a 10.5% rise), and Germany (close to 9.4 million, an 8% increase). The regions with the highest visitor numbers from January to September were Catalonia, with 15.8 million visitors (up by 10%), the Balearic Islands with 13.3 million (a 5.9% increase), and the Canary Islands, which saw 11 million tourists, marking a 10% growth.
In September, the Balearic Islands ranked as the top tourist destination within Spain, drawing 22.4% of all visitors. Catalonia followed with a 21.2% share, and Andalusia captured 15%. Compared to September 2023, the Balearic Islands saw a 4.2% rise in tourist numbers, Catalonia an 11.8% increase, and Andalusia a 10.3% boost.
Accommodation trends reveal that foreign tourists preferring market accommodation increased by 7.1%, with hotel stays up by 4.6% and rented accommodation growing by 32.8%. Non-market accommodation use also grew, rising by 23%. Most tourists stayed between four to seven nights (close to 4.7 million, up by 8.7% year-on-year), while the number of non-overnight visitors rose by 0.6%. Longer stays (15+ nights) decreased slightly by 0.8%.

In September, nearly 6.9 million tourists arrived without package tours, a 10.9% rise. Package tourists reached 2.7 million, marking a 4.8% increase.
The UK, Germany, and France accounted for almost half of all tourist spending in Spain. Expenditure by British tourists increased by 9.3%, German tourists by 8.6%, and French tourists by a notable 26.1% compared to September 2023. Across the first three quarters of the year, the UK was the largest contributor to tourist expenditure, representing 18.4% of total spending, followed by Germany (12.1%) and France (9%).
In September, the Balearic Islands held the highest share of tourist expenditure (21.4%), followed by Catalonia (19.6%) and Andalusia (15%). Expenditure rose annually by 7.6% in the Balearic Islands, 15.9% in Catalonia, and 16.5% in Andalusia. For the year to date, Catalonia has accumulated 19.1% of tourist expenditure, the Balearic Islands 17.5%, and the Canary Islands 16.7%.

Spending on activities made up 19.8% of the total expenditure in September, increasing by 9.7% from the previous year. Spending on international transport (not part of package tours) and on package holidays represented 19.6% and 19.1% of the total, respectively, with the former rising by 16.2% and the latter by 8.2%.
For accommodation, 68.9% of tourist expenditure came from those staying in hotels, which rose by 10.1% annually. Expenditure on non-market accommodations grew by 27.2%. Tourists not using package tours increased their spending by 14%, while those on package tours spent 9.6% more than the previous year.
Leisure tourism remains the primary driver of spending, generating 88.2% of total expenditure in September, a 12.5% increase from September 2023.