canary islands tourist accommodation stats february 2026

Canary Islands See Shift in Tourist Accommodation Trends

Tourist Accommodation Trends in the Canary Islands

Overnight stays in non-hotel tourist accommodations—including apartments, campsites, rural tourism lodgings, and hostels—in the Canary Islands exceeded 2.3 million in February 2026. This represents a 4.2% decrease compared to the same period the previous year, according to Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE). It is important to note that this figure does not include holiday rental homes. The decline indicates not a fall in visitor numbers, but a shift in the type of accommodation chosen by travellers during their stay.

Robust Visitor Numbers and High Occupancy

In fact, the archipelago’s airports handled a total of 4,546,710 passengers in February, a 1.2% increase on February 2025, according to data from airport operator Aena. This strong air traffic comes on top of a record-breaking start to the year for cruise ship arrivals in January and February. When it comes to hotels and apartments, the Canary Islands achieved the highest occupancy rate in the country in February, with 88.6% of available apartments filled.

Island Performance and Top Destinations

Analysing the data by tourist zone, Gran Canaria was the preferred destination, with over 810,000 overnight stays. However, Lanzarote recorded the highest occupancy rate at 91.7%. The specific tourist areas with the highest number of overnight stays were San Bartolomé de Tirajana and Mogán in Gran Canaria, and Arona in Tenerife.

National Picture for Non-Hotel Stays

Across Spain as a whole, overnight stays in non-hotel tourist accommodations surpassed 6.6 million in February, rising by 0.2% year-on-year, according to INE data published this Tuesday. Stays by both Spanish residents and non-residents increased by 0.2%. The average stay was 4.6 nights per traveller. A breakdown shows overnight stays in tourist apartments grew by 0.8% and rural tourism lodgings increased by 2.4% compared to February 2025. In contrast, stays at campsites fell by 1.4% and hostel stays dropped by 4.4%.

Price Index Fluctuations

The Tourist Apartment Price Index (IPAP) registered a modest annual increase of 0.5% in February. Conversely, the Camping Price Index (IPAC) surged by 6.8%, while the Rural Tourism Lodging Price Index (IPTR) fell by 0.2%.

Detailed Sector Analysis

Tourist Apartments: Nationally, overnight stays in tourist apartments rose by 0.8% in February 2026. Stays by residents fell by 0.2%, while those by non-residents grew by 1.1%. The average stay decreased by 4.1% to 5.2 nights, and 34.4% of offered beds were occupied—a 6.6% annual drop. Weekend occupancy stood at 38%. Non-resident travellers accounted for 81.6% of stays, with the United Kingdom being the main source market (27.5%).

Campsites: Stays at campsites fell by 1.4% year-on-year in February. Stays by residents rose by 2.3%, but those by non-residents fell by 2.6%. Some 46.4% of offered pitches were occupied, a 1.9% annual increase. Weekend occupancy was 47%. Non-residents accounted for 75% of stays, with Germany as the leading source market (39.8%). The Valencian Community was the preferred camping destination, with over 600,000 stays. The Costa Blanca was the top area, with over 313,000 stays and an 86.4% occupancy rate. Benidorm, Mazarrón, and Cabanes were the most popular specific spots.

Rural Tourism Lodgings: Stays in this sector increased by 2.4% nationally. Stays by residents rose by 7%, while non-resident stays fell by 11.1%. Occupancy of available beds was 12.5%, and weekend occupancy was 27%. Castilla y León was the preferred destination, with over 87,000 stays. However, the Canary Islands achieved the highest occupancy rate nationally for this sector, at 44.9%. By area, Mallorca was the top destination, but Gran Canaria had the highest occupancy rate at 52.4%.

Hostels: Overnight stays in hostels decreased by 4.4%. Resident stays plummeted by 18.8%, while non-resident stays grew by 8.4%. Bed occupancy was 23.1%. The Community of Madrid was the preferred destination, with over 107,000 stays. Once again, the Canary Islands recorded the highest occupancy rate in this category, at 81.3% of offered beds.

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