tenerife meetings industry economic impact 2025

Tenerife’s meetings industry soars to record economic impact

Meetings industry delivers €209 million direct impact

Tenerife welcomed 1,391 professional meetings in 2025—spanning congresses, conventions, symposiums, incentive trips and trade fairs—a 1.8% increase on the previous year. This activity generated a direct economic impact of €209.1 million, a rise of €14.2 million. The MICE sector attracted 176,695 participants to the island last year (up 3.1% year-on-year), driven by the Cabildo through Turismo de Tenerife and its Tenerife Convention Bureau department.

When indirect effects on the wider Tenerife economy are factored in, the total economic impact reaches €435 million. This represents a 10.5% increase compared with the previous year and confirms the growing importance of meetings tourism as an economic engine for Tenerife.

Strategic importance of MICE tourism

The figures come from the Measurement of the Meetings Industry in Tenerife 2025 study, commissioned by Tenerife Convention Bureau and developed by Braintrust. The research analyses the scale of meetings tourism on the island.

Lope Afonso, Vice-President and Tourism Councillor for the Cabildo, said: “These results confirm the strategic role of MICE tourism in Tenerife as an engine of economic growth, a generator of employment and a driver that energises the destination throughout the year. The increase in the number of meetings, participants and economic impact demonstrates that the island continues to consolidate its position as a competitive benchmark in the international congress and events industry.”

Dimple Melwani, CEO of Turismo de Tenerife, added: “Meetings tourism allows us to attract a high-value visitor with a more significant economic impact on the destination. Their spending levels, their capacity to consume in the local economy and their energising effect reinforce the importance of the MICE segment in the island’s tourism strategy.” Melwani noted that the indirect economic impact data highlights not only the sector’s importance in generating wealth but also its value as a cross-cutting enhancer of the destination’s economy.

Conventions lead the way

Conventions, meetings and symposiums are the most frequent format in Tenerife, accounting for 61.9% of all events held on the island. They are followed by incentive trips (28.4%), congresses (8.9%) and trade fairs, which represent a smaller share at 0.8%.

In terms of participant numbers, conventions and symposiums attract more than half of all attendees (51.6%), followed by congresses (23.8%), incentives (15.2%) and trade fairs (9.4%).

Strong international appeal

Some 71.1% of participants in meetings held in Tenerife in 2025 came from outside the island, underscoring the destination’s pulling power. Specifically, 29.1% came from abroad, 17.1% from other Canary Islands and 24.9% from other regions of Spain. Europe accounts for close to 90% of international attendees, while the Americas contribute 7.2% and the rest of the world 3.7%.

Meetings tourism also helps diversify tourism demand: more than 55% of international visitors were first-time visitors to the island, reinforcing the MICE segment’s ability to attract new arrivals and encourage future leisure stays.

High-value visitor profile

Meeting participants represent a high-value profile for the destination. The average length of stay is 3.6 nights for domestic visitors and 5.6 nights for international visitors, who primarily stay in four- and five-star hotels—these account for more than 72% of accommodation demand. The average spend per international participant reaches €2,172, while the average spend for domestic visitors stands at €1,194.

Beyond costs directly linked to the event (registration and accommodation), more than 55% of these travellers’ additional expenditure goes on bars and restaurants, followed by shopping and leisure and cultural activities on the island.

Exceptional satisfaction levels

Participants rate their Tenerife experience very highly, with satisfaction levels above nine out of ten across all destination-related attributes and an overall rating of 9.5 points. Among the factors most highly valued are the climate, lifestyle, gastronomy and leisure offering—elements that help position Tenerife as a competitive destination within the international meetings industry.

Looking ahead to 2026

The year 2025 has been a period of consolidation for meetings tourism in Tenerife, with a strategy focused on attracting higher-quality events with greater economic impact for the island. Looking ahead to 2026, the sector faces a competitive context with optimistic prospects for stability or moderate growth, as the island continues to strengthen its positioning and its commitment to a more sustainable and profitable events model.

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